r    TOS  AWET^ 
OF  CALIF.  T  TUB  Ant.  1 


POEMS 


OF 


FANCY   AND    IMAGINATION 


J;Y 
JOHN    T.    BOYLE. 


I'KKSS   OF   J.   B.   L1PFINCOTT  COMPANY, 

PHILADELPHIA. 

1888. 


PJF  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELEf 


Copyright,  1888.  by  JOHN  T.  BOYLE. 


CONTENTS. 


FAIRY-LAND 5 

MY  PALACE  ix  THK  AIR 39 

To  FLORA'S  VOICE 49 

THE  WARNING     ....                 .  54 

LEGEND  OF  THE  CROWN       .        .                 ....  68 

STORY  OK  THK  FORGKT-ME-NOT 69 

BALLAD  OF  COLIN  CLOVER  .         .  .  .77 

LOVE  ix  A  PALACE 89 

THK  ENCHANTERS  ;  OR,  THK  DANCE  OF  DEATH  .         .  103 

ALLIEGONDABAGO: 119 

Episode  No.  1.  The  Mastodon 126 

Episode  No.  2.  Off  Cape  Cod 135 

Episode  No.  3.  A  dream  he  dreamed     ....  142 

SUICIDE. — A  VISION    .  151 


FAIRY-LAND. 

I  DO  not  know,  nor  do  I  care, 
When  it  was,  or  how,  or  where 
I  gained  the  heart  of  fairy-land  : 
All  I  know  and  all  I  care — 

As  celestial  memory 

Of  a  rosy  revery 

With  gladd'ning  song  returns  to  me — 
Is  to  feel  that  I  was  there  ! 
There  to  see  its  charming  sights; 
There  to  taste  its  sweet  delights ; 
There  to  revel  in  its  blisses ; 
There  to  feast  me  with  its  kisses; 
There  to  air  my  fretted  mind 
In  its  healing,  balmy  wind; 
And  there  to  let  my  fancy  play 
In  childhood's  golden  holiday. 
Oh,  'twas  ravishingly  rare 
All  the  wonder  I  saw  there ! 
Cloudless  skies  and  healthful  air; 
Flow'ry  meads  and  leafy  alleys; 
Sunny  slopes  and  verdant  valleys; 

2  5 


FAIRY-LAND. 

Mountains  rich  in  endless  stores 
Of  rarest  gems  and  priceless  ores ; 
Glitt'ring  fountains,  rainbow  sprayed; 
Gay  parterres  in  bloom  arrayed; 
Odorous  prairies  all  berivered ; 
Isle-filled  lakelets  breeze  beshivered ; 
Babbling  waterfalls  and  fells 
Hid  in  consecrated  dells; 
Grottos  scintillant  with  gems, — 
Kurthly  stars  of  Bethlehems; 
Caves  of  mystic  mysteries 
Which  no  vulgar  eye  e'er  sees; 
Balm-trees  ever  blossoming 
In  a  summer-tempered  spring; 
Others,  from  whose  boughs,  distended, 
Luscious  tempting  fruits  suspended ; 
Blissful  views  of  Arcady; 
Glimpses  of  Utopia's  sea; 
Regal  Fancy's  broad  demesne, 
Ruled  by  dainty  fairy  queen ; 
Where  blithe  music,  song,  and  dance 
Filled  the  breezes  with  romance, 
And  dissolved  each  earthly  care — 
Cark  and  sorrow — into  air. 

When  into  the  land  I  chanced, 
I  was  greeted  by  a  Fay, 


FAIRY-LAND. 

Gloriously  countenanced, 

With  ail  eye  as  bright  as  day, 
Whose  drapery  of  dazzling  light 
All  bewildered  ray  dazed  sight, 
Till  her  magic  arts  supplied 
Dull  earth's  defects,  when,  spirit-eyed, 
I  each  fairv-scene  descried. 


Then,  with  gracious  courtesies, 

Through  an  atmosphere  of  balm, 
Led  she  me  by  whispering  trees 

To  where  an  Oriental  calm 
Mc-hoed  with  the  harmonies 
Of  fair  Nature's  minstrelsies. 
Soon  we  came  unto  a  dell 

Nestled  in  a  sunny  vale, 
Pranked  with  fern  and  pimpernel, 

Daffodil,  and  lilies  pale, 
And  besprent  with  eglantines, 
Roses  red,  and  columbines, 
Lovingly  caressed  and  kissed 
By  primrose  and  by  amethyst; 
All  entangled  tenderly 
With  clinging  vines,  which  slenderly 
Crept  from  laurel-shaded  plots 
Of  pansies  and  forget-me-nots, 


FAIRY-LAND. 

And   with  foyish  dalliance  wound 
Their  slender  tendrils  them  around. 

There,  in  a  sequestered  spot 

Of  transporting  greenery, 
Close  beside  a  spangled  grot 

Fringed  with  rarest  scenery, 
Near  an  agate-pebbled  fountain 
Gurgling  from  o'erhanging  mountain, 
By  a  sombre  forest,  hoary 
With  romance  and  magic  story, 
Where  the  tuneful  warblers  shed 
Their  rapturous  ecstasies  o'erhead, 
And  the  insects'  soothing  croon 

Lulled  the  drowsy  airs  to  sleep, 
Or  impelled,  with  tranceful  rune, 

Zephyr  in  his  bed  to  creep, 
Saw  I,  turning  suddenly 
By  gnarled  trunk  of  giant  tree, 
Nebulous  and  visionary, 
All  the  world  of  myth  and  fairy, — 

Elf  and  nymph,  and  sportive  fay, 
Gnome,  and  genius,  all   were  there; 

Goblin,  sprite,  and  kelpie  gay, — 
Born  of  water,  earth,  and  air, — 
A   countless  train,  a  motley  throng, 
Floating  on  the  breath  of  song, 


FAIRY-LAND.  9 

Or,  with  gleesome  mimicries, 
Sporting  in  the  dusk  of  trees, 
Like  hashished  thoughts  in  reveries; 
Or,  in  mirthful  jollities, 
Dancing  with  bacchautic  glee 
Through  the  bowel's  of  Revelry; 
Or  in  fountains  glittering 
Fluttering  with  glossy  wing; 
Or  in  wild  absurdities 
Venting  their  frivolities; 
Or  by  nest  of  cooing  dove 
Tasting  of  the   sweets  of  love; 
While,  unconscious,  others  dreamed 

'Mid  the  poppies'  gorgeous  bloom, 
Or  like  starry  glories  streamed 

From  acacia's  soft  perfume. 

Habited  were  some  in  light 
Too  intense  for  mortal  sight; 
The  effulgence  of  the  sun 
Was  darkness  in  comparison. 
Robed  were  others  in  the  gray 
Tissues  of  the  garish  day; 
Or  sarcenet  of  heaven's  blue, 
Edged  with  rarest  flowers'  hue. 
Some  were  draped  in  noontide's  shimmer, 
And  the  pallid  morn-star's  glimmer; 
2* 


10 


FAIRY-LAND. 

Or  were  daintily  arrayed 
In  gossamer  of  dappled  shade; 
Or  in  mellow-tinted  beams 
Angel-worked  with  gold  of  dreams ; 
Or  in  rainbow's  changeful  hues, 

Sun-thread  blazed  in  fiery  splendor, 
By  the  nimble-witted  Muse, 

With  conceits  grotesque  and  tender 
In  transparentness  of  waves, 

Or  the  flash  of  ruby  cluster; 
Or  imp-woven  dusk  of  caves 

Glossed  with  polished  metal's  lustre, 
Some  were  garbed ;    or,  in  whiteness 
Of  the  diamond's  regal  brightness  ; 
While,  celestially  serene, 
Robed  in  incandescent  sheen, 
Others  sparkled  through  the  green. 

By  prodigious  aerolite, 

Lichen-bossed  and  vine  bedight; 

In  the  music  of  a  rill, 

Which,  laughing,  leaped  from  dozing  hill, 

And  unto  my  eyes  displayed 

Foam-flaked  eddies,  gemmed  cascade; 

While  my  chaperon,  in  dream, 

'Neath  a  Dryad-haunted  tree 

By  Delphic  cave  of  mystery 


FAIRY-LAND.  \\ 

Drowsed  on  couch  of  shade  and  beam, 

Stretched  I,  luxuriously, 
On  the  moss  of  fenneled  green, 

And  with  sweet  complacency 
Let  my  soul  enjoy  the  scene, 
And  absorb  the  dulcet  sounds 
Which  ravished  the  ethereal  bounds. 
Soon,  athrough  my  fainting  frame 

Felt  I  opiate  languors  creep, 
While  a  lulling  murmur  came 

And  softly  soothed  me  into  sleep; 
Then  mischievous  Puck  appeared, 
Tricksy-faced  and  motley-geared, 
And  infused  into  my  eyes 
The  discernment  of  the  wise, 
Till  the  influences  of  sight 
Grasped  the  shadows,  'solved  the  light, 
And  opened  to  my  wondering  mind 
The  mysteries  of  fairy-kind. 


Then  across  my  vision  streamed 
Shining  troops  of  antic  fays, 

Who  amid  the  foliage  gleamed 

Like  coy  sunbeams  through  the  haze, 

And,  in  tranceful  reveries, 

I  watched  their  giddy  jollities. 


12  FAIRY- LAND. 

Some  on  cobweb  swings  were  swinging 

In  the  shadows  of  the  shade, 
Or  the  bluebells'  bells  were  ringing 

'Mid  the  silence  of  the  glade: 
Others,  where  kind  Nature  spread 
Velvet  mosses  for  the  tread 
Of  elf-feet,  with  lustrous  ropes 

Of  spider's  silk  skipped  merrily; 
Or  adown  the  scented  slopes 

Phantoms  chased  right  cheeriiy; 
Or  on  vibrant  grasses  swayed, 
Else  with  airy  Atoms  strayed 
Where  the  Microzoa  played; 
Or  seesawed  on  beams  of  sun 

Set  athwart  the  quiv'ring  sprays, 
Or  hid  and  hooped  in  elfish  fun 

In  the  umbra  of  the  haze. 


Mounted  on  eccentric  steeds 
Or  ray-wheeled  velocipedes, 

Or  sliding  down  a  sunbeam  bright, 
Babbling  tipplers,  in  carouse, 

( 'hased  the  fascicles  of  light 
Through  the  labyrinth  of  boughs 

With  exuberance  of  sprite; 
Or,  in  buffoonery  of  play, 


FAIRY-LAND.  13 

With  Illusions  sped  away 

Through  the  glitter  of  the  day. 

Others,  in  transparent  boats 

Urged  by  evanescent  motes, 

Floated  after  thistle- blooms 

Or  vagrant  down  from  Phoenix  plumes; 

Else  from  drooping  branches  swung, 

Pendulous,  the  leaves  among; 

Or,  tiptoe,  on  topmost  spray 

Whirled  their  fairy  forms  away 

Into  the  great  gaseous  sea 

Of   Invisibility. 


To  and  fro  a  motley  rout 
13ivfith-blo\vn  bubbles  kicked  about, 
Or,  in  improvised  balloons 
Of  webbed  sunshine,  sought  the  moons 
In  quest  of  moonshine,  which  to  feed 
Unto  brains  of  priestly  Creed, 
While  a  masquerading  crew, 
Hurtled  one  another  through, 
( )r  with  dewdrops  pygmies  pelted 
Till  they  into  ether  melted. 
Some,  with  quaintest  juggleries, 
( )j)cd  the  buds  of  flow'rs  and  trees 
And  filled  the  air  with  drolleries. 


FAIRY-LAND. 

Flirting  with  the  Naiads  iu  rill 

They  took  fantastic  shapes  at  will, 

And  tickled  queen  Mab's  royalty 

To  gleesome  risibility. 

Awhile,  with  rosy  mirth  serene, 

They  stole  the  song  from  Music's  queen 

And  wedded  it  to  human  voice, 

Which  filled  the  world  with  sweet  rejoice. 

Some  were  madly  rollicking 

With  the  spectres  of  the  bogs, 
Else  with  toads  were  frolicking, 

Or  at  leapfrog  with  the  frogs : 
Others,  where  voluptuous  Earth 

P>ared  her  bosom  to  the  sun, 
Lullabied  a  croon  of  mirth, 

Till,  impelled  by  imp  of  fun, 
They  scattered,  with  hilarious  cries, 
The  swarming  bees  and  butterflies. 

There,  in  harlequin  array, 
Klf  and  ouphe  in  chatbird  play, 
Scared  timid  mote  from  sunny  ray; 
Teased  songbirds  till  their  drowsy  notes 
Fell  tuneless  from  enangered  throats; 
( 'hased  Echo's  echo  with  rude  mock 
Till  it  died  in  scar  of  rock; 


FAIRY-LAND.  15 

Then,  with  briberies,  they  won 

The  jocund  chemist  of  the  sun 

To  help  them  deck  grass,  shrub,  and  tree 

With  flow'rs  and  fruited  oddity. 


Some  in  jasmine  hammocks  swung 

The  budding  lemon-trees  among ; 

Where,  lulled  to  sleep  by  locusts'  rhe-r-r, 

Or  the  drone  of  grasshopper, 

They  dreamed  the  dreams  of  childhood,  and 

Saw  visions  of  the  spirit-land. 

Some  in  leafy  wildernesses, 

'Mid  the  drooping  ferns  and  cresses, 

Wooed  coquettish  Zephyrs  till 

Of  them  they'd  their  own  sweet  will ; 

Or  with  animated  leaf 

'Mongst  the  slumb'rous  foliage  hid, 
Listened  to  the  garrulous  grief 

Of  complaining  Katydid. 


Sconced  in  hermit  solitudes, 
Where,  halcyon-like,  sweet  Silence  broods, 
Nor  sound  of  axe  or  gun  intrudes, 
Disturbed  alone  by  whu-r-r  and  thrum 
Of  the  pheasant's  throbbing  drum ; 


jr>  FAIRY-LAND. 

Or  the  nervous  cleck-cleek-cleck 

Of  the  red-head  woodpeck's  peck, 

Or  the  liquid  spink !  spiuk !  spink ! 

Of  the  turncoat  bobolink; 

Or  the  clear,  keen,  mellow  gush 

Of  the  music-throated  thrush,— 

Chosen  ones  'mid  rose  and  thyme 

Set  for  men  sweet  thoughts  for  rhyme; 

Or,  with  crucible  and  torch, 

Over  Nature's  prostrate  form. 
Strove  within  the  noise  and  scorch 

Of  an  intellectual  storm, 
Till,  with  feverish  unrest, 
They  wrung  the  secrets  from  her  breast, 
And  allied  them  to  the  mind 
Of  the  chosen  of  mankind : 
Others,  with  felicity, 
Uncaged  the  soul  of  Melody, 
And  fitted  madrigals  and  glees 
To  Music's  sylvau  harmonies. 
Some  where  hyacinthine  gales 
Fragranced  soporific  vales, 
With  gay  birds  of  plumage  rare 
Thrilled  with  song  the  dreamless  air, 
Till  the  Sylph  ides  of  the  breeze, 
Enamoured,  swooned  in  ecstasies, 
And  died  in  voiceless  shrubberies. 


FAIRY-LAND.  17 

Here  and  there  marauding  Sprites, 
Esquired  by  malicious  Frights, 
On  air  barbs  or  fiery  steeds, 
Which  Imagination  breeds, 
Armed  with  mimic  swords  of  hate 
From  the  armory  of  Fate, 
Or  gnome-fashioned  sunshafl  lances 
Tipped  with  sting  of  Harpy  glances, 
Waged  fierce  war  with  fly  and  gnat, 
Mosquitoes  vile,  and  caverned  bat, 
Or  ophidians  of  mire, 
Else  with  scorpions  of  fire, 
While,  with  savage  bows  and  arrows, 

Shaped  from  the  elastic  air, 
Others  fought  pugnacious  sparrows 

Or  grim  spider  in  his  lair. 
Some  the  vagrant  wasps  attacked 
Or  the  hornet  castles  racked, 
While,  exultant,  others  sacked 
The  ant-hills,  or,  with  revelries, 
Filched  the  treasured  industries 
Of  the  amber-cloistered  bees. 

As  I  gazed  came  to  my  ear, 

By  the  breath  of  Zephyrs  borne, 

Musically  sweet  and  clear 
Mellow  mot  of  Fairy  horn; 

3 


18 


FAIRY-LAND. 

Then,  all  faintly,  as  in  dream, 

From  the  greenwood's  rocky  bounds, 
Falcons'  shriek  and  herons'  scream, 

And  the  bay  of  Fairy  hounds. 
Then  I  heard,  like  imps  of  rain 

When  they  patter  on  the  leaves 
Or  upon  the  flowered  plain, 

Fairy  footfalls,  as  from  sheaves 
Of  the  forest-garnered  light. 

There  emerged,  all  woodland  geared, 
And  addressed  my  wond'ring  sight, 

Elfin  hunters,  bowed  and  speared, 
In  pursuit  of  doe  as  white 

As  the  fleecy  mists  of  June 
When  they  glitter  in  the  bright 

Noontide  of  the  full-orbed  moon. 
Swift  as  flit  the  nimble  airs 

When  they  dimple  clovered  grass, 
Chasing  myths  of  phantom  Cares, 

Did  the  hunt  and  hunters  pass, 
And  in  the  umbrageous  green 
Dissolved  like  spray  from  sun-kissed  scene. 

Then  I  saw,  where  warblers  plumed 

Airily  their  dewy  pinions 
And  the  pink  and  fuchsia  bloomed 

In  the  Tam'rand  king's  dominions, 


FAIRY-LAND.  19 

Dilettante  sipping  dew 

From  the  golden  buttercups, 
While  a  philosophic  few 

Mellowed  all  their  hearts  with  sups 
Of  divinest  nectar  from 

The  virgin  lily's  silver  chalice, 
Ray-distilled  from  precious  gum 

By  the  wizard  Amaryllis, 
Or  the  prisoned  waters  which 
The  Magi  thrall  in  crystal  wall 

Of  the  Atom's  diamond  palace. 

Crowned  with  haWed  amaranth 

Bacchanals  by  lotus  tables 
Couched  on  cushionings  of  Cynth, 

While  they  tittered  witful  fables; 
And,  in  language  quaint  and  sweet 

As  the  throb  of  Fancy's  chime, 
Gossiped  with  the  passing  fleet 

Eidolons  of  tireless  Time, 
Or  discoursed  of  human  kind 
In  words  aerially  refined, 
Exploring  every  nook  of   mind ; 
Or  listened  to  the  fairy  lore 
Of  sages  of  the  days  of  yore, 
While  following  celestial  shadow 
Through  Utopia's  Eldorado, 


2Q  FAIRY-LAND. 

And  from  dishes  silver  white, 
Or  graved  plates  of  golden  light, 
Banqueted,  like  Sybarite, 
Off  marmalades  of  lusciousness, 
Locust  thighs,  with  mint  and  cress, 
Humbirds'  brains,  and  tongues  of  quails, 
And  the  spiced  delights  of  snails, 
Sauced  with  the  deliciousness 

Of  may-apples,  haws,  and  cherries, 
And  the  appetizing  press 

Of  the  excellence  of  berries; 
Or  of  ambered  insects  ta'en 
By  swart  Mermen  from  the  main ; 
Or  the  properties  of  grain 
Steeped  in  saccharine  of  cane; 
Or  rare  essences  of  meats 
Dressed  with  the  ambrosial  sweets 
Of  jellied  tamarinds  and  dates 
From  trees  which  bloom  by  Eden's  gates 
Candied  citrons,  figs,  and  grapes 
From  Avalou's  enchanted  capes ; 
Luscious  pulp  of  mangosteen, 
Flavors  of  vanilla  bean; 
Syllabubs  of  cocoa  cream, 
Whipt  by  Houries — in  a  dream — 
To  an  evanescent  foam, 
Dulceted  with  mell  of  comb, 


FAIRY-LAND.  21 

Tinctured  with  the  breath  of  spice 
And  cinnamons  of  Paradise. 
Some  the  toothsomeness  of  nuts 
Tasted,  with  the  daintiest  cuts 
Of  pineapples  and  bananas 
From  Floridian  savannas; 
Or  the  hearts  of   melons  iced 

With  frosted  air,  and  sunny  peaches 
Pregnant  with  delight  and  spiced 

By  the  gales  of  Persian  reaches ; 
Or  the  ravishing  express 
Of  pomegranate's  lusciousness; 
Or  red-pulped  oranges,  which  glow 
In  golden  beauty  by  the  flow 
Of  laughing  waters,  in  the  shade 
By  stately  palm  and  olive  made 
In  Vallombrosa's  classic  glade, 
Where  rare  blooms  and  teeming  vines 
Enchant  the  spirit's  Apennines, 
And  each  dreaming  sense  enthralls 
In  Fantasy's  cerulean  halls. 

Some  on  pink-fringed  toadstools  sat, 
While  they  charged  the  air  with  chat; 
Or,  with  nectared  go.ssipings, 
Gave  delicious  utterings 

To  undreamed  thoughts  of  unthought  things; 
3* 


22  FAIRy-LAND. 

While  from  opalescent  white 
Goblets,  of  translucent  light, 
Or  air-bubbles,  cut  in  twain 
By  keen  instruments  of  Spain, 
Supped  they  liquors  exquisite, 
Twanged  with  spice  of  Attic  wit; 
Elixirs,  which  fruit-fays  draugh 
For  the  fairy -tribes  to  quaff, 
Of  the  apricot  and  pear, 
Nectarines  and  peaches  rare, 
Apples,  quinces,  gage,  and  plum, 
Vinted  by  some  fairy  Mumra  ; 
With  bouquet  from  off  the  grapes 
Which  purple  the  Aonian  capes; 
Or  in  amber  clusters  shine 
Athrough  the  em'rald-foliaged  vine, 
Where  gay  birds-of-paradise, 
From  the  glare  of  Orient  skies, 
Shadow  with  their  jewelled  wings 
Waters  of  Pierian  springs; 
Or  which  ripen  in  the  breeze 
Which  fan  th'  effulgent  deities 
Of  the  happy  isle-gemmed  seas 
Which  skirt  the  soul's  Hesperides. 

In  a  rhododendroned  dell, 
Where  the  gray-green  mosses  fell 


FAIRY-LAND.  23 

From  gnarled  branches  in  festoons, 

Like  the  hazy  fringes  set 

To  Night's  trailing  folds  of  jet 
By  the  planet-circling  moons ; 
In  the  pine-trees'  shadows,  where 

The  timid  sunbeams,  frightened,  quivered, 
And  the  spirits  of  the  air 

'Mid  the  foliage  sat  and  shivered ; 
Where  the  subtle-gliding  snake 
Chased  the  squirrel  through  the  brake, 
Or,  with  fascinations  dire, 
Lured  rash  birds  to  coil  of  ire ; 
Where,  through  fear,  the  lizard  slid 

Like  a  flash  in  cleft  of  rock, 
And  the  saucy  catbird  chid 

Silence  with  his  scornful  mock ; 
There,  where  sleek-furred  mole  and  mouse 
Wassailed  in  the  muskrat's  house, 
Or  the  black-coat  beetle  rolled 
His  egg-stored  balls;  where  rabbits  holed, 
And  the  mottled  gem-brained  toad 
Leaped  along  the  deer-lick  road ; 
Where  tortoise  hid,  and  truant  snail 
Slimed  the  ant's  erratic  trail; 
Where  the  chatt'ring  jaybird  prated 
And  the  cooing  ring-dove  mated, 
Saw  I,  with  discerning  eyes, 


24  FAIRY-LAND. 

In  the  freckle  spots  of  shade, 

Gaudy-tricked  and  sheen-arrayed, 
Fairy  lovers,  heard  their  sighs, 
As,  by  brookside,  'mid  the  fern, 

Arm  in  arm  they,  loitering,  walked ; 
Or  aside  the  prattling  burn 

With  the  misty  Naiads  talked ; 
Or  where  grasses,  vine-entangled, 
Were  with  dandelions  bespangled ; 
There  where  Summer,  proud  as  bride 

When  she  from  the  altar  goes, 
Treads  on  roses  in  her  pride, 

While  her  fond  eye  overflows 
With  joy-drops,  which,  by  sylvan  bowers, 
Fall  and  gender  fragrant  flowers ; 
Or  where  dimpling  waters  pooled 
And  the  trout  and  minnow  schooled ; 
Where  beetle-shrub  and  spider  sped 
O'er  flaccid  waters,  while  o'erhead 
All  the  white-faced  elders  braided 
With  the  hazel  leaves,  and  shaded 
Card'nal-flowered,  blue-flagged  edges 
Of  the  fuzzy,  foxtailed  sedges; 
Where  gay  gladiolas  rimmed 
The  glassy  meres  all  swallow-skimmed, 
While  the  elfin  boatmen  swayed 

In  their  lily-leaf  canoes 


FAIRY-LAND.  25 

And  the  air-born  children  played 

'Mongst  the  rushes  of  the  ooze, 
Saw  I  them  environed  by 

Genii  guardians  of  the  spot, 

Or  denizens  of  haunted  grot, 
Sit  luxurious  and  eye 
Each  the  other, — Oh,  how  shy  ! 
Scarcely  speaking  with  their  lips, 
Only  with  their  finger-tips; 
Or  that  mystic  language  which 

Love  expresses  feelings  by, 
Timid  glances,  nervous  twitch, 

Tell-tale  blush,  and  philtered  sigh; 
Or  'ueath  spice-wood  sassafrases 

By  the  wild  witch-hazel  tree, 
Sheltered  by  the  pompous  grasses, 

Robed  in  vestal  purity, 
Saw  I  them,  with  cheeks  afire, 
Wantoning  with  sweet  desire ; 
While  their  lips  beguiled  with  words 
Tenderer  than  notes  of  birds, 
Enrapturing  the  breathless  gales 
With  love-songs  and  am'rous  tales, 
Till  in  gondolas  of  gleams, 
They  floated  down  celestial  streams 
Into  the  summer  sea  of  dreams. 


26  FAIRY-LAND. 

Others  saw  I  through  the  gloom 
Of  a  fountain's  silvered  mist, 
Where  blushed  Iris,  Phoebus-kissed, 
Nestling  where  magnolias'  bloom 
Drowned  the  breezes  in  perfume; 
Or  where  oleanders  scent 
With  geranium  odors  blent, 
Stretched  on  beds  of  mignonettes 
Or  swards  of  virgin  violets; 
In  an  atmosphere  of  sighs 
Laden  with  the  balm  of  skies. 
Raptured  in  a  chaste  embrace, 
Cheek  to  cheek  or  face  to  face, 
Fondly  dreaming,  naught  expressing, 
Each  the  other's  heart  addressing 
In  the  language  of  caress, 
Dalliance,  and  amorous  press, 
Wishing,  secretly,  the  while, 

Wishes  which  they  dare  not  utter, — 
Dainty  wishes,  tinged  with  guile, 

Such  as  set  young  hearts  aflutter, 
While  their  spirits,  in  the  skies 
Of  the  lover's  Paradise, 
Revelled  in  the  wine  of  bliss 
Pressed  by  love  from  fruity  kiss. 


FAIRY-LAND.  27 

Like  elect  of  the  sublime, 

Never  making  note  of  time, 

'Tranced,  and  all  absorbed,  I  lay 

Till  the  purple  of  the  day 

Melted  into  twilight's  gray, 

And  the  harbinger  of  night 

Twinkled  on  my  chrismed  sight, 

While  the  spell  of  Silence  fell, 

O'er  lake,  mountain,  mead,  and  dell, 

And  the  fitful  shadows  shed 

Their  holy  influences  and  spread 

O'er  earth  a  superstitious  dread. 

Then  beside  the  vagaries 

Of  the  mock-bird's  ecstasies 

And  the  plover's  aqueous  cry 

And  the  wild  swan's  vesper  sigh 

And  the  doleful,  wailing,  shrill 

Note  of  circling  whippoorwill 

And  the  screech-owl's  dismal  "  hoot," 

Mingled  with  the  nighthawk's  "scoot," 

And  from  crevices  of  rocks 

The  sly  bark  of  wily  fox, 

Wedded  to  the  cry  of  loon, 

Shriek  of  bittern,  "  caw"  of  crow, 
With  the  marsh-frog's  croaking  croon 

And  the  low  of  fawn  and  doe, 


2g  FAIRY-LAND. 

Fell  athrough  the  atmosphere 
All  acutely  on  my  ear. 
Th'  enrapturing  harmonies 
Of  the  wind-harp's  symphonies, 
And  the  notes  of  Ariel's  flute, 

Trill  of  pipe,  and  sigh  of  reed, 
Dainty  twang  of  elfin  lute, 

With  the  voice  of  wood  and  mead  ; 
And  I  heard  the  mellow  gush 
Of  the  forest's  solemn  hush  ; 
Heard  the  waves  of  darkness  flowing, 
Soughing,  sighing,  coming,  going, 
And  the  lowly  glowworms  glowing  ; 
From  the  dusky  hiljs  of  dreams 
Heard  the  flow  of  silent  streams; 
Heard  the  bells  of  Fancy  ringing; 
Heard  the  tender  grasses  springing; 
Heard  the  tired  convolvuluses 

Close  their  fragile  leaves  to  sleep, 
And  the  airs,  with  childish  fusses, 

Into  cave  and  flower  creep; 
Heard  the  flutter  of  Ouphe  wing; 
Heard  the  Dryads'  gossiping; 
Heard  the  starry  splendor,  falling 

On  the  mist,  like  flake  on  wave, 
And  the  darkling  shadows  calling 

Phantoms  from  each  bat-filled  cave ; 


FAIRY-LAND.  29 

From  the  bounds  of  distance  heard 
The  fantasies  of  Cynthia's  bird ; 
And,  blending  with  the  sweet  rejoice 
Of  dear  Nature's  soothing  voice, 
Heard  the  warbling  spirits  and 
The  bugle  notes  of  Fairy-land. 

Soon,  from  out  the  pearly  haze 

Of  the  moonlit  atmosphere, 
Sudden  as  a  meteor's  blaze, 

Came  a  fairy  pioneer; 
And,  above  the  glist'uing  mead, 
Floated  on  his  firefly  steed, 
Till  where  spread  a  dainty  plot 
Of  lum'nous  mosses,  by  a  grot 
Of  melancholy  mysteries, 
'Neath  the  boughs  of  fragrant  trees, 
Stopped,  and  fingering  magic  key, 
Blew  bugle-notes  of  melody, 
Which,  as  flowers'  subtle  scent 
Fills  the  space  of  firmament, 
Penetrated  each  recess 
Of  rock  and  brambled  wilderness, 
And  bade  each  dreamy  elf  and  fay 
To  robe  and  thread  the  jovial  way 
Which  led  to  sport  and  revelry, 
And  mirth  and  fairy  jubilee. 
4 


FAIRY-LAND. 

Then  bourgeoned  from  bud  and  flower, 
Tuft  and  plume  and  odorous  bower, 
Like  the  regal  exhalations 

Of  the  opium-fevered  mind, 
All  the  whimsical  creations 

Of  terrestrial  fairy-kind ; 
And,  on  wing&l  footsteps,  flew 
T'ward  the  chosen  rendezvous. 
Will-o'-wisp  his  wizard  light, 
Lit  and  showed  them  through  the  night, 
And  his  frisky  brother  Jack- 
O'-th'-lantern  spooked  the  track, 
And,  lowering  his  pallid  fire, 
Led  them  safe  past  bog  and  mire, 
Till,  with  antique  flame-wood  lamp, 
Goblin,  from  his  cedrine  camp 
O'er  rock,  stream,  and  briery  way, 
Led  them  by  the  haunted  way. 

All  assembled,  joyously, 

I'  th'  glimpses  o'  th'  moon, 
To  the  music  of  the  air 
Fell  their  feet  as  noiselessly 

As  petals  fall  from  crown  of  June, 
Or  as  shade  on  noontide's  glare; 
Or  as  imaged  shapes  that  dance 
In  a  tender  maiden's  glance; 


FAIRY-LAND.  31 

In  the  waltz's  am'rous  whirl 
Or  fandango's  tinkling  twirl, 
Else  on  polka's  giddy  wing 
Round  and  round  enchanted  ring. 

From  his  vigil  in  Oaktower 
Woodtick  ticked  the  midnight  hour, 
And  the  death-watch  by  the  bed 
Of  ill  mortal  drooped  his  head ; 
While  the  vampire  and  the  ghoul, 
To  the  "hoot"  of  mousing  owl, 
Flapped  their  fiendish  wings  and  flew 
To  cypress  shade  and  mournful  yew. 

High  in  heav'n  the  loving  moon, 
Like  a  vestal,  robed  in  white, 

Floating  in  eternal  noon, 
Glorified  the  dusky  night, 

And  glossed,  with  rare  effulgency, 

The  sleeping  earth  and  slumb'rous  sea. 

Amor,  musing  in  the  shade 
Of  the  voiceless  everglade, 
Held  in  thrall  by  magic  spell 
Of  enchantress  Philomel, 
Sighed  love-pseans  in  her  praise, 
Wooing  Dian's  ardent  gaze 


32 


FAIRY-LAND. 

Till  he  won  it;  when,  as  wave 

Captures  star  with  crystal  hand 
And  holds  it  prisoner  in  cave 
Of  subaqueous  wonderland, 
So  he  caught  her  in  embrace, 
Kissed  the  blushes  from  her  face, 
Until,  ravished  with  delight, 
He  fainted  in  the  arms  of  Night. 

Then  stole  gently  to  my  ears 
Seraph  notes  of  crystal  spheres, 
And  from  off  the  breeze's  wing 
Sweet  airs  of  fairy  trumpeting. 
Faintly,  quaintly,  swelling  nearer, 

Like  the  pine's  ^Eolian  sighing, 
Drew  the  echoes,  sweeter,  clearer, 

Till  they  on  my  ears  fell  dying; 
While  upon  their  winged  steeds, 
Which  the  wind  of  Cloudland  breeds, 
Appeared  the  trumpeters,  and  then, 
Like  glint,  from  gloom  of  bosky  glen, 
With  ray  swords  and  starbeam  spears, 
A  troop  of  elfin  cavaliers. 
Following  'neath  banners  white, 
With  austral  blazonings  bedight 
And  streamers  of  celestial  light, 
From  defile  and  sultry  shade, 


FAIRY-LAND.  33 

Panoplied  in  sheen  of  steel, 

Which  the  master  gnomes  anneal, 

Came  a  knightly  cavalcade, 

Encircling  a  gemmed  array 

Of  elfin  loveliness,  so  bright 

That  Jealousy  and  envious  Night, 

Writhing,  drew  themselves  away 

In  exuberance  of  pain 

Which  tortured  them  to  thoughts  insane, 

And  poured  on  sympathizing  air 

The  agonies  of  their  despair. 

As  king-stone  of  diadems 

Glistens  with  transcendent  lustre 
'Mid  the  radiance  of  gems 

Which  adorn  the  dazzling  cluster, 
So,  amid  the  galaxy 

Of  beauty  so  refined  and  airy, 
Shone,  in  peerless  majesty, 

Mab,  the  virgin  queen  of  fairy. 

Imagination  ne'er  allured 

From  the  Eden  of  the  mind, 
Never  Fancy  miniatured 

To  the  eye  of  artist-kind, 
Vision  so  supremely  fair 
As  this  creature  of  the  air; 
Ne'er  can  words  to  mind  convey 
4* 


34 


FAIRY-LAND. 

The  glory  of  her  bright  array; 
Nor  rapt  pencil  e'er  express 
The  fulness  of  her  loveliness; 
Nor  cunning  chisel  hope  to  trace 
Her  excellence  of  form  and  face : 
In  her  person  were  combined 
All  the  graces  of  her  kind; 
Perfect  was  she  as  a  star, 
Naught  to  censure,  naught  to  mar. 


Col'optera  and  lantern-fly 

From  their  weary  watch  on  high 

Did  her  radiance  descry, 

And  signalled  to  elf  sentinel, 

Who  vigil  kept  at  holy  well, 

And  he,  through  golden  trumpet-flow'r, 

To  master  of  the  festive  hour. 

Instant,  as  when  sunclouds  shake 

From  drowsy  wings  on  rippling  lake 

The  down  of  calm,  and  all  is  still : 

Attracted  by  his  magnet  will, 

At  his  imperial  command, 

Expressed  by  wave  of  magic  wand, 

The  dancing  ceased.     Ad  interim, 

As  in  vast  cathedrals  dim 

Rapt  souls,  on  wings  of  melody, 


FAIRy-LAND.  35 

Upborne  on  airs  of  chaunt  and  hymn, 
Attain  the  heights  of  ecstasy ; 

And  there  through  myrrhy  incense  skim 
O'er  agitated  waves  of  air, 

And  then,  with  pinions,  love-enchained, 
Sink  to  hush  of  silent  prayer; 
So  fell,  like  spell  of  organed  psalm, 
Upon  the  scene  a  holy  calm, 

And  Silence  for  a  moment  reigned. 


Then,  from  heart  of  tranquil  dell, 
Floated,  with  melodious  swell, 
A   mockingbird's  ethereal  joy; 
Subdued  at  first,  and  maiden  coy, 
Then  rising,  swelling  nigh  and  nigher, 
Warbling,  with  gay  coquetries, 
His  repertoire  of  woodland  glees, 
Laughing,  twitt'ring,  piping,  sighing, 
Chirping,  whistling,  oooing,  crying, 
Climbing,  soaring  high  and  higher, 
Till,  with  airs  of  spirit  choir, 
Its  own  notes  blent  so  gloriously 
That  a  passing  seraph  stopped 

A  blissful  moment  in  career, 
And  from  bounds  of  distance  dropped 

The  matchless  melody  to  hear. 


FAIRY-LAXD. 

Then  sliding  from  celestial  heights 

Of  harmonious  delights, 

Through  clewless  labyrinths  of  sound, 

Its  notes  flew  in  and  out  and  round 

In  delirious  ecstasies 

Of  derisive  melodies, 

Which,  with  'wakened  catbird's  jangle, 

Caught  fair  Nature's  self  in  tangle, 

And  the  voices  of  the  night 

'Woke  to  transports  of  delight, 

Until,  melted  into  glee, 

The  aspened  shade  and  dewy  green 
Chimed  with  chorused  jubilee 

Of  fairies'  welcome  to  their  queen. 

Then  enveloped  all  the  scene 

Lucid  mists  of  dazzling  sheen, 

And  blue  vapors,  all  aglow 

With  the  colors  of  the  bow, 

Which  expressed  in  bold  relief 

Each  vine'd  rock  and  blade  and  leaf 

And  portrayed,  with  sunlight  power, 

Sprite  and  fay  and  elfin  flower. 

Puck  I  saw,  and  Ariel, 

Oberon,  and  Fariel, 

Atom,  Pin,  and  Midge,  and  Buzz, 

Pink,  and  Pea,  Pip,  Myth,  and  Fuzz; 


FAIRY-LAND.  37 

And  each  other  elf  and  fay 
Which  joyed  our  childhood's  holiday 
And  ever  with  our  fancies  play. 
Heavenly  music  from  the  plain 
Filled  the  tissues  of  my  brain, 
Charged  the  airs  with  nonchalance, 
And,  beneath  the  queenly  glance, 
Buoyed  the  fairies  in  their  dance. 


Then,  ath rough  the  foliage,  I 

Saw,  against  the  sombre  air, 
Forms  fantastic,  giant  high, 

With  great  eyes  of  astral  glare, 
Who,  with  smile  or  weird  grimace 
Playing  o'er  each  changeful  face, 
Gazed  upon  the  scene,  until 
Shadow,  winging  from  the  hill, 
Enfolded  them  in  mist  of  streams 
Which  shimmer  through  the  vale  of  dreams. 
Then  I  saw,  from  secret  nook, 
Peering  goblins,  wraith,  and  spook ; 
And  from  cone-tipped  evergreens, 

Where  clung  vine  and  mistletoe, 
Nymphs  peeking  coyly  from  leaf-screens, 

Or  shad'wy  flitting  to  and  fro. 
Then  athrough  the  atmosphere 


FAIRY- LAND. 


Floated  vaguely,  soft  and  clear, 
The  herald  notes  of  Chanticleer ; 
And,  in  flash  of  dawning  day, 
The  blissful  vision  paled  away. 


MY    PALACE    IN    THE    AIR. 


A  PEERLESS  palace,  divinely  fair, 
Have  I  fashioned,  with  matchless  care, 
Off  in  the  amethystine  air. 

Ethereally,  its  walls  uprear 

Into  the  lucid  atmosphere, 

Pale  as  a  star  when  day  draws  near. 

Its  azure  roofs  transcend  in  height 
"Till,  fading  in  the  infinite, 
They  mock  the  keenest  grasp  of  sight. 

Turret,  tower,  and  minaret, 

NVrought  out  of  midnight's  sheen  and  jet, 

On  its  shadowy  walls  are  set. 

Its  spires  and  towers  of  radiant  stone, 
Hewn  from  the  sun's  enchanted  zone, 
Ambitious,  seek  the  Air-King's  throne. 

Scintillant  spans  of  golden  light 
Uphold  its  ceilings  of  sky,  alight 
With  twinkling  stars  exceeding  bright. 

39 


40  MY  PALACE  IN  THE  AIR. 

Its  columns  of  crystalled  hyacinth, 
With  dreamy  capitals  of  Corinth, 
Are  sheened  from  astragal  to  plinth. 

Of  topazed  rays  are  its  balustrades, 
Solid  moonbeams  its  colonnades, 
Marbled  snow-flakes  its  promenades. 

Each  of  its  adamantine  floors 
Is  tessellated  with  polished  ores 
Studded  with  rubies  and  Kohinoors. 

Yet  does  it  seem  as  if  it  were 
Builded  out  of  naught  but  air, 
So  very  dream-like  'tis  and  fair. 

Its  spacious  chambers,  with  matchless  care, 
Are  hung  with  laces  of  frosted  air 
And  furnished  artfully,  debonair! 

Its  diamond  panes,  celestially, 

Sparkle  in  far-off  majesty 

Like  the  sun-kissed  waves  of  a  summer  sea. 

AH  earthly  halls  its  hall  outvies, 
Ceiled  with  kaleidoscopic  skies, 
Aurora-tinged  with  gorgeous  dyes. 


MY  PALACE  IN  THE  AIR.  *         41 

From  off  its  circling  walls  of  blue 
A  dome,  cyclopean,  clear  as  dew, 
Studded  with  brilliants  of  every  hue, 

Swells  into  space,  and  glints  in  light, 
Compared  with  which  noon's  glare  is  night, 
Blinding  the  unaccustomed  sight. 

'Neath  its  arches,  through  endless  day 
Fountains  of  living  waters  play, 
Cooling  the  airs  with  fragrant  spray. 

Its  tapestries  of  limpid  blues, 
Glorified  with  dissolving  views, 
Broidered  with  rainbow's  wealth  of  hues, 

Are  limned  with  tracery  of  gems, 
Sceptres  ar'besqued  with  diadems, 
Emerald,  leaves  with  garnet  stems 

Flecked  with  lustrous  filigrees, 

With  roses,  and  anemones, 

Winged  butterflies,  and  birds,  and  bees. 

'Tis  carpeted  with  velveteen 
Of  fairy  mosses  and  evergreen, 
Bossed  with  flowers  and  dewdrops'  sheen. 
5 


42 


MY  P ALACK  IN   THE  AIR. 

Winding  stairs  of  light  and  shade, 
With  genii-fashioned  balustrade 
All  sheen  of  radiance  inlaid, 

Lead  to  celestial  galleries, 

Such  as  rapt  dreamer,  dreaming,  sees 

When  solving  heavenly  mysteries. 

There  pictures  by  Fancy's  pencil  .draught, 
Schemes  from  the  busy  brain  of  Thought, 
Statues  Imagination  wrought, 

Enchant  the  sight  and  fill  the  mind 
With  glorious  deals,  of  human  kind, 
In  niched  walls,  or  stand  combined 

With  cabinets  of  Art's  device, 

Which  Luxury's  self  might  all  suffice, 

Of  airy  turquois  clear  as  ice, 

Filled  with  exquisite  treasures  fair 
Drawn  from  the  ocean,  earth,  and  air, — 
Magnificent!  beyond  compare. 

After  the  carkings  of  the  day, 

My  spirit,  spurning  its  home  of  clay, 

Soars  to  my  Palace  far  away. 


PALACE   IN   THE  AIR.  43 

Free  as  an  eagle,  unconfined 

As  the  flight  of  the  wayward  wind, 

It  leaves  my  slothful  clay  behind, 

And  with  it  care  and  misery, 
All  which  we  helpless  mortals  see 
Drifting  to  immortality ; 

And  while  men  toil  in  anxious  pain, 
Bartering  their  souls  for  sordid  gain, 
Seeking  that  which  they  seek  in  vain, 

I  in  my  palace,  all  alone, 

With  brooding  Silence  on  a  throne, 

List'ning  the  air-waves'  hollow  moan, 

Sit,  like  a  holy  evangelist 
Beside  the  heavenly  eucharist, 
Quaffing  from  sangreal  of  amethyst 

The  mellow  joy  of  a  golden  wine 
Crushed  from  the  heart  of  a  grape  divine 
Grown  in  mine  airy  Palestine. 

High  o'er  the  sorrowing  vale  of  tears 
I  watch  the  shades  of  departed  years, 
And  list  to  the  music  of  the  spheres. 


44  MF  PALACE  IN  THE  AIR. 

Gazing  where  Saturn's  crimson  bars 
Flash  through  the  glittering  of  stars, 
Flushed  with  the  sanguine  glow  of  Mars, 

I  seek  that  blissful  realm  which  lies 
Deep  in  the  bosom  of  the  skies,  — 
The  soul-absorbing  Paradise. 

Fond  but  vainly  I  sit  and  peer, 

With  eyes  which  gleam  like  eyes  of  seer, 

Into  the  radiant  atmosphere, 


Hoping  by  human  faith  to  see 
The  elysium  of  Mystery, 
Its  stream  of  life  and  mystic 


Its  pearly  gates,  its  jewelled  walls, 
Its  shining  mansions  and  blissful  halls, 
O'er  which  God's  glory  forever  falls, 

Its  streets  of  sheen,  its  marvellous  throne 
In  the  city's  glitter,  all  alone, 
Resting  on  kingdoms  overthrown; 

But,  blinded  by  empyrean  blaze, 
Shrinking,  in  wonder  and  amaze, 
Humbled,  I  turn  my  'wildered  gaze 


MY  PALACE   IN   THE   AIR.  45 

And  sec,  through  the  airy  ocean's  spray, 

Ethereal  islands,  far  away 

'Mid  the  starry-crested  waves  of  day, 

Which  seem  like  beryls  set  in  a  lake 
Of  molten  brilliants,  whose  ripples  break 
'Gainst  golden  foreland  in  opal  flake, — 

Those  blessed  isles  which  the  ancient  wise 

Deemed  the  terrestrial  Paradise 

Floating  midway  'tween  earth  and  skies, — 

Cloudland,  with  its  gorgeous  sights, 
Its  airy  splendors,  its  sweet  delights, 
Which,  dreaming,  we  taste  in  summer  nights, 

Its  sapphire-blazing  peaks,  which  rear 
From  luminous  vales,  intensely  clear, 
Into  the  lucent  atmosphere, 

Hollowed  with  grottos  all  alight 
With  scintillant  drops  of  stalactite 
And  driftings  of  splendrous  stalagmite; 

Floored  with  tufa  of  crystalled  foam, 
In  the  fashion  of  ancient  Rome, 
Cunningly  veined  by  skilful  gnome; 
5* 


46  MY  PALACE  IN  THE  AIR. 

Its  sparkling  plumes,  like  feathers  of  snow, 
Drifting  which  way  the  winds  do  blow, 
With  crags  of  silver  flashing  below; 


Its  slopes,  with  palaces  and  towers, 
Pavilions  weird  with  radiant  bowers, 
'Mid  wilds  of  amaranthine  flowers; 


Its  obelisks  of  pearl,  half  hid 
By  cenotaphs  of  saints,  amid 
Shadows  of  stately  pyramid 

Constructed  each  and  every  one 
From  lustrous  blocks  of  chalcedon, 
Quarried  out  of  the  noonday  sun. 

No  earthly  potentate,  I  opine, 

Ever  reared  a  palace  like  to  mine, — 

So  grand,  so  noble,  so  divine ! 

Reclused,  by  shore  of  summer  sea, 
On  cloud-cushioned  couch  of  ivory, 
Beneath  a  luscious-fruited  tree, 

Lulled  to  sleep  by  melodies 
Swelling  up  from  seas  and  trees 
On  amorous  balm-laden  breeze, 


A/F  PALACE   IN   THE  AIR.  47 

I  dream  such  dreams  as  never  before 
Mortal  dreamed  this  side  Death's  door, 
Soothed  with  poppy  or  hellebore: 

Of  heroes,  gods,  and  godlike  men, 
Ghost,  and  shadow,  and  haunted  glen, 
Of  fairy  rose-bowered  denizen ; 

Of  horrid  monsters,  huge  and  grim ; 
Of  genii,  giant,  and  pygmy  trim; 
Of  angel,  seraph,  and  cherubim ; 

Of  death  and  life  so  transitory, 
Hell  with  its  terrors,  purgatory, 
And  heaven's  pure  and  radiant  glory — 

And,  oh!  may  the  regality 
Of  my  shadowy  principality 
Grow  into'  heaven's  reality  ! 

What  care  I  for  silver  or  gold, 
Fleeting  honors,  houses,  or  wold? 
In  my  palace  I've  wealth  untold, — 

Gems  of  wisdom  and  treasures  .of  mind 
Out  of  the  ages,  doubly  refined 
By  th'  elected  of  mankind, 


48  MY  PALACE  IN  THE  AIR. 

Diamonds  of  Philosophy, 

Gold  from  the  drift  of  History, 

Pearls  from  the  sea  of  Poetry  : 

Need  I  more?     I  live  in  content 
With  that  which  kind  heaven  has  lent 
To  cheer  my  spirit  in  banishment. 

What  though  th'  infatuated  crowd 
Scornfully  slight  and  taunt  aloud, 
And  mist  my  mind  in  sorrows  cloud? 

Yet,  steeped  in  sweet  philosophy, 
I  grieve  for  all  their  misery, 
And  pity  those  who  pity  me. 

Thus,  when  my  fainting  spirit  tires 
Of  the  world  and  its  vain  desires, 
Into  my  palace  it  retires,    • 

And  in  the  boundless  realm  of  mind, 
With  kindred  spirits  always  find 
The  happiness  for  me  designed. 

Ah  me!     From  the  dreamy  far  away 
My  spirit  seeks  its  crypt  of  clay, 
And  my  airy  palace  fades  away. 


TO    FLORA'S    VOICE. 

SOUL  of  music  shrined  in  earth, 

Offspring  of  celestial  birth, 

Thou  that  swayest  mind  and  heart 

Through  divinity  of  Art, 

To  my  consciousness  impart 

Thy  secret, — who,  and  what  thou  art! 

Ne'er,  since  mother's  lullabies 

Soothed  my  senses,  closed  my  eyes, 

Have  I  heard  such  melody 

From  the  lips  of  minstrelsy; 

Ne'er,  from  foliage  or  sea, 

Such  mellifluous  harmony. 

Plaint  of  ocean's  murm'ring  shell, 
Sigh  of  zephyr,  croon  of  dell, 
In  thy  blissful  warblings  dwell ; 
Yea,  all  sweet  sounds  of  earth  and  sea, 
Absorbed,  lose  themselves  in  thee — 
Tell  me,  soul  of  music,  tell, 
Whence  thou  comest,  where  dost  dwell  ? 

49 


50  TO    FLORA'S    VOICE. 

Ne'er  did  note  of  feathered  sprite 
Yield  me  such  intense  delight; 
Ne'er  did  murmur  of  a  rill, 
Carol  of  enchanted  hill, 
Charge  with  such  voluptuous  thrill 
Or  so  captivate  my  will : 
Never  voice  of  mead  or  brook, 
Cliaunt  of  bard  or  song  of  book, 
Nor  .ZEolian  symphony, 
Seem  so  musical  to  me ! 


Wafted  by  thy  sorceries, 

My  soul,  afloat,  skims  airy  seas, 

Till,  encompassed  by  the  moon, 

All  deliriously  I  swoon, 

As  to  brain,  through  ravished  ear, 

Steal  thy  notes  to  bless  and  cheer! — 

Tell  me,  charmer,  what  thou  be 

That  utterest  such  witchery? 

Lilied  strains  of  summer  airs 
Breathed  by  saints  at  evening  prayers; 
Inspirations  wreathed  and  wound 
With  the  roses  of  sweet  sound, 
Glorify  thy  carollings, 
Fit  thy  notes  to  seraph  wings, 


TO    FLORA'S    VOICE.  51 

And  allure  my  soul  to  rise 

From  Earth's  dross  to  bliss  of  skies. 

Is  it  love  inspires  thy  strain, 

Dulcifies  thy  rapt  refrain? 

Is  it  love  that  fires  my  brain 

As  I  listen?     Thought  divine! 

I  am  thine,  and  thou  art  mine! 


Say,  enchanting  mystery, 

Art  angelic  ecstasy 

'Scaped  athrough  the  sheeny  portals 

Of  the  home  of  the  immortals? 

Or  rapt  joy  by  heaven  sent 

To  cheer  our  souls  in  banishment? 

Art  thou  Orpheus  himself 

Sporting  as  a  wanton  elf, 

Or  faint  echo  of  his  lyre 

Mellowed  with  Promethean  fire 

For  the  use  of  earthly  choir? 

Or  dying  breath  of  cherubim  ? 

Thou  essence  of  terrestrial  hymn  ! 

We  hear  thee,  yet  we  see  thee  not; 

We  feel  thy  power,  confess  its  sway, 
As  rising,  like  a  bugle's  mot, 

It  melts  into  a  golden  lay 


52  TO    FLORA'S    VOICE. 

So  aerial,  soft  and  clear, 

•!•• 

Cherubs  stoop  from  heaven  to  hear, 
While  the  envious  songsters  spring 
From  bright  dreams  on  flutt'ring  wing, 
And  imbibe  from,  dulcet  strain 
The  joy  which  is  akin  to  pain, 
Till  their  hearts  in  overflow 
Flood  the  woods  and  fields  below. 

Born  thou  wert  amongst  the  Fairies, 

Child  of  Harmony  and  Tune! 
Nurtured  by  the  blithe  canaries 

In  a  never-ending  June ; 
Thence  thou  'scaped  in  sportive  mirth, 
And,  gleeful,  hid  thee  in  a  birth, 
Whence  thy  spirit,  ever  going, 
Welleth  like  a  streamlet  flowing, 
Breaking  on  enraptured  ears 

With  a  melody  divine, 
Giv'n  thee  by  the  tuneful  spheres, 

To  enchant,  and  to  refine. 

As  elf  winds  adown  the  sea 
Trip  it  with  Euphrosyne 
To  an  unheard  symphony, 
Thrilling,  like  the  breath  of  fame, 
The  angel  of  my  languid  frame, 


TO    FLORA'S    VOICE.  53 

Dost  thou  come;  and  as  thy  notes 
Flood  my  soul  as  sunshine  floats, 

Dreaming,  I  faint; 

And,  like  a  saint, 

Bewinged  I  rise 

Unto  the  skies, 
And  list  to  the  airs  of  Paradise. 


THE   WARNING. 

DAINTY  maid  with  queenly  tread, 
Sunny  hair  all  ringlett£d, 
Eyes  like  those  of  the  gazelle, 
Forehead  smooth  as  pearl  of  shell, — 

Beware ! 
He'll  betray!  oh,  he'll  betray! 

Away !  away ! 

Listen  what  the  Sibyls  say  : 
"His  promises  are  debonair, 
His  winning  smiles  beyond  compare, 
His  honeyed  words  as  light  as  air, — 

Forbear  ! 

Ere  he  mesh  thee  in  his  snare, 
Ere  he  fills  thy  mind  with  care, 

Pray,  oh,  pray ! 

Lest,  when  demons  rule  the  hour, 
And  thou  dreamest  in  Love's  bower, 
He  will  filch  from  thee  thy  dower, 

And  away 

With  the  sunshine  of  thy  day, 
With  the  song  which  cheers  thy  way, 


54 


THE    WARNING.  55 

And  the  gem  which  glows  serene 
In  thy  bosom,  beauty's  queen !" 


As  the  skies  of  Samarcand, 

By  electric  sparkles  fanned, 

Are  his  eyes, — their  satyred  fires 

Fuelled  with  his  fierce  desires. 

In  them  lurketh  Astrophel, 

Forging  mimic  shafts  of  hell, 

Which  he  tips  with  subtle  glances, 

Cruel  as  the  steel  of  lances, 

Which,  through  maidens'  hearts  that  languish 

In  a  dreamy  love-lorn  anguish, 

Shooteth  he,  until  they  die 

The  death  of  deaths  with  frantic  sigh. 

Guard  thy  breast  with  triple  plate 

Now,  before  it  be  too  late! 

Fly  them,  else  in  mire  of  shame 

Like-snow  flake  smirched  will  melt  thy  fame. 

On  his  lips,  bedewed  with  roses, 
Where  a  siren's  smile  reposes, 
Lurks  a  spell  whose  fragrant  breath 
Wooes  thee  to  a  living  death ; 
In  their  ecstasy  of  kisses, 
Which  to  thee  seem  angel  blisses, 


56  THE   WARNING. 

Coils  an  asp,  whose  cruelty 
.Bears  destruction  unto  thee ! 
Then,  maiden  of  the  golden  hair, 
And  haloed  brow  unmarked  with  care, 

Beware ! 

Lest,  moaning,  thou  wilt  sit  and  sing, 
Thy  tears  downfalling  on  his  ring, 
"  Ah,  well-a-day  !  ah,  well-a-day  ! 
He  only  kissed  me  to  betray  !" 

Round  the  taper  of  his  fingers 
Spells  of  an  enchanter  lingers, 
And  they  permeate  thy  frame 
With  the  subtleness  of  flame, 
Till  thy  senses,  sleeping,  lie 
Underneath  a  poppied  sigh, 
And  thine  immortality 
Under  seas  of  misery. 
When  he  clasps  thy  tiny  hand, 
Fly  thy  thoughts  to  fairy-land; 
When  the  spark  of  fell  desire 
Flashes  to  consuming  fire, 
Fly  before  that  tragic  thrill 
Leaves  thy  body  pale  and  chill! 

Oh !  his  princely  words  are  sweet 
As  he  kneel eth  at  thy  feet, 


THE    WARNING.  57 

Suing  thee,  and  wooing  thee, 
As  if  thou  wert  a  mystery 
Shrined  within  humanity ; 
While  the  glamour  of  his  guile, 
Lurking  in  insidious  smile, 
Allures  thy  spirit,  craftily, 
Into  the  glooms  of  infamy. 
As  to  thirsty  flower  the  dew, 
Are  his  gracious  words  to  you ; 

Yet,  beware ! 

Take  care! 

For  the  mystic,  Amorat, 
In  his  wisdom,  sayeth  that 
"  Many  a  maiden's  heart  is  wrung 
Through  the  wiles  of  glozing  tongue." 

Take  care!  take  care! 

Beware!  beware! 


6* 


LEGEND    OF    THE    CROWN. 

ENTHRONED  in  regal  state, 

With  sable-ermined  robe 
Of  Tyrian  purple,  and  breastplate 

Of  laminated  gold, 

Glittering  with  wealth  untold; 
Hand  grasping  gold- traced  iron  sceptre, 
Tipped  with  argent  ring-winged  node, 
Beneath  gem-eyed  ebony  raven 
Perched  on  an  enambered  globe ; 

O'ershadowed  by  Death's  wing, 

,  All  gloomily, 
By  beetling  crag  of  maelstromed  sea 

Sat  Norland's  sapient  king. 

His  seer-like  beard 
So  weird  appeared 

That  base-born  churls  gazed,  dazed,  and  feared ; 
While  his  thin  hair, 

Blanched  white  as  snow 
Through  royal  woe, 

Flowed  dreamily  upon  the  air. 
58 


LEGEND   OF   THE   CROWN.  59 

Anear  him  sat  enthroned, 

Like  rosy  nymph  'mongst  lily-featured  naiads, 
Amid  the  splendor  of  attendant  maids, 
In  peerless  beauty,  like 

The  full-orbed  moon  enzoned 
By  galaxy  of  stars, 
'Mid  glint  of  battle-axe  and  pike, 
Upborne  by  bronze-helmed  sons  of  Mars, 

Seraphically  fair, 
Malvina  his  soul's  pride, 
Loved  more  than  world  beside, 
His  only  child  and  heir. 

By  royal  summons  of  command, 
About  him,  ranged  on  either  hand, 
A  belted,  mail-clad  band, 

His  feuds  and  courtiers  stand. 


Then,  from  his  head,  his  crown, 

Superlatively  grand, 
He  raised,  with  kingly  frown, 

And  held  in  his  right  hand. 

From  its  gemmed  circles  streamed, 
And  ravishingly  gleamed, 


(JO  LEGEND   OF   THE  CROWN. 

A  beamy  light 
So  dazzling  pure, 

That  scarce  the  unaccustomed  sight 
Its  brilliance  could  endure. 

"This," — while  he  sighed, 

He  cried, — 
"  With  mine  own  star-eyed 

Malvina  as  a  bride, 
As  Odin  reigneth,  and  I  live, 
Will  I  give 
To  him 

\Vho,  stout  of  heart  and  strong  of  limb, 
Braves  yon  seething  waves, 
And  from  the  fury  of  the  sea 
Returns  it  all  unharmed  to  me." 

Out  in  the  'strora, 
Amid  the  foam, 
The  guerdon  fell. 
Then,  from  coral  cell, 
And  spangled  caves, 
f  The  elves  of  waves 

Upreared, 

With  faces  ghast  and  seared, 
And  through  the  clear 
Bright  atmosphere 


LEGEND   OF   THE   CROWN.  61 

Of  spectre-crested  sea, 

Exultantly, 

And  with  a  maddening  wild  delight, 
Snatched  it  with  eager  hands  from  sight. 

Fair  as  the  harbinger  of  day, 
Sweet  as  the  apple-bloom  of  May, 

All  queen-arrayed, 

But  pale  as  the  wan  face  of  death — 
Scarce  caught  the  nimble  airs  her  breath — 
Awaited  the  expectant  maid. 

With  timid  glances,  half  afraid, 
Gazed  she  on  her  suitors  grand, 

As  they  stood, 

In  eager  mood, 

All  desiring, 

And  aspiring, 
To  the  fortune  of  her  hand. 

Within  her  throbbing  breast  of  care, 
Love  fluttered  like  a  dove  in  snare; 
And  to  her  sorrowing  self  she  sighed, 
As  one  gazed  on  her  tender-eyed, 

"Oh  that  he, 

Through  love  of  me, 
Would  brave  the  fierceness  of  the  sea! — 
O  God  of  gods,  be  kind  to  him  and  kind  to  me !" 


62  LEGEND   OF   THE   CROWN. 

Far  and  wide, 
Up  the  shore, 
With  deeper  roar, 
Chased  by  fierce  breakers  surged  the  tide. 

Dashing,  crashing, 

With  rude  shocks, 
'Gainst  the  storm-defying  rocks, 

Seething,  hissing, 

Now  cloud-kissing, 

Then  deep  under, 

Burst  the  wind-hurled  waves  asunder, 
Quivering  earth  like  bolts  of  thunder. 

Fearfully  the  faint-heart  brood 
Above  the  raging  ocean  stood. 

The  dreadful  terrors  of  the  flood 
Dissolved  their  courage,  chilled  their  blood. 

Before  their  ruler  stood  confessed 
The  secret  of  each  craven  breast. 

Then,  with  self-conscious  bearing  proud, 
From  the  deep  silence  of  the  crowd 
Stepped  dauntless  Holla  of  the  main, 
Whose  castle  glowed  in  clouds  of  Spain ; 


LEGEND   OF    THE   CROWN.  (J3 

Son  of  banished  Eric,  who, 

With  his  steel-ribbed  ships  of  might, 

Sailed  conqueringly  the  South  Seas  through, 
Despoiling  shores  with  ruthless  blight. 

With  a  pleasurable  pain, 

Offspring  of  a  sweet  delight, 
Gazed  the  maiden  on  the  main 

Through  sad  tears  which  dimmed  her  sight. 
Then,   while  her  swelling  breast  heaved  full  with  sighs, 
Her  soul  glanced  love  into  his  longing  eyes, 
While  breathed  he  silent  prayer  unto  the  skies, 
"  O  Odin,  god  of  gods !  give  ear.  to  me, 
And  shape  to  joy  my  future  destiny !" 

With  stately  mien  and  courtly  tread 

Advanced  he  to  the  regal  seat, 
Full  low  he  bowed  his  noble  head 

To  gain  the  monarch's  kindly  greet: 
Awhile  the  heralds  with  acclaim 
Declared  his  lineage  and  his  name, 
And  north  and  south  and  east  and  west, 
Proclaimed  the  purpose  of  the  kingly  breast. 

Before  the  maid, 
Stayed  by  his  blade, 
He  kneeled.     All  tremblingly, 
First  her  hand, 


(J4  LEGEND    OF    THE   CROWX. 

Then  his  brand, 

Kiss6d  he, 

While  he  whispered,   "Without  thee, 
What  were  all  this  world  to  me?" 

Conscious  love,  like  red  sunrise 
When  it  tints  the  seas  and  skies, 
Rosed  her  cheeks  and  lit  her  eyes : 
Wild  heaved  her  breast  with  smothered  sighs. 

In  a  tranceful  ecstasy 
From  her  fascination,  he 
Turned  towards  the  angry  sea. 

Where  towered  battlements  upreared, 
There  Scald  and  Berserks  gaunt, 

With  Sagaman  sat,  while  Harpers  hoar 
Upraised  the  hymn  and  chaunt. 

From  ivied  tower  and  gnarlSd  oak 
Hoarse  was  heard  the  raven's  croak. 

Where  the  shimmering  waters  sprayed, 
Where  the  glittering  sunlight  beamed, 

Sportively  the  dolphins  played, 

Shrill  the  cruel  cormorant  screamed. 

Shuddered  Life  and  fluttered  Death, 
Pitying  Nature  held  her  breath, 


LEGEND   OF   THE   CROWN.  65 

As  in  the  yawning  jaws  of  ocean, 

From  beetling  crag  beneath  the  tower, 

They  saw  him  plunge  with  quivering  motion, 
Beheld  the  greedy  waves  devour. 

As  when  angered  lightnings  fall, 
Or  sudden  dangers  men  appall, 
Breathless  stood  they,  one  and  all. 

Like  a  saint  in  stone,  the  maiden, 
All  her  soul  with  anguish  laden, 
With  her  thoughts  engulfed  in  sea, 
Sat  and  gazed  all  prayerfully; 

And  the  dying  king,  with  shudder, 
Like  a  galley  'reft  of  rudder, 
Swayed  and  groaned  with  every  motion 
Of  the  whirlpooled  fiends  of  ocean. 

Dread  silence  reigned,  while  waxed  intense 
The  horrid  torture  of  suspense ! 

"  Huzza !  huzza !  huzza !" 
Mingles  with  the  passing  flaw. 

"  See !  see  ! 

'Tis  he,  'tis  he!" 

7 


66  LEGEND   OF    THE   CROWN. 

See,  his  doughty  arm  uprears ! 
Lo !  behold 
The  crown  of  gold ! 

Above  the  waves  his  face  appears. 

In  the  dizzy  circling  swirl 
Of  the  maelstrom's  seething  whirl, 
'Mid  its  fierce  convulsive  throes, 
Round  and  round  and  round  he  goes. 

Celestial  Hope  and  pallid  Fear 
Gaze  through  the  fainting  atmosphere ; 
With  fervent  words  and  pleading  breath 
They  intercede  for  him  with  Death. 

At  her  dragon-guarded  gates, 

Grim  and  lowering,  Hela  waits! 

Beside  her  weave  the  dark-browed  Fates. 

Crooning  dirges, 
Sob  the  surges. 

Love,  from  her  ethereal  steeps, 

Looks  through  clouded  eyes  and  weeps. 

Pity  sighs; 
Envy  dies. 


LEGEND    OF    THE    CROWN.  67 

Through  the  palpitating  airs 

Speed  Holla's  and  the  maiden's  prayers. 

Throned  amid  revolving  spheres 

With  Frigga  by  his  side, 
Majestic  Odin  sits  and  hears, 

And  scans  the  treacherous  tide. 

Obedient  to  his  sovereign  will, 

His  raven,  Huguin,  flies 
Swifter  than  light,  through  ether's  chill, 

To  cloud-land's  dreamy  skies ; 
And,  at  his  bid,  like  thunderbolt, 

His  sun-eyed  eagle  falls 
Where  maddened  whirlpool,  in  revolt, 

Bold  Holla's  limbs  enthralls. 
Its  talons  grasp  his  floating  curls, 

The  hand- held  crown  its  beak, 
While  from  the  hellward   whirlpool   whirls, 

And  from  the  ghastly  reek, — 
Awhile  the  baffled  monster  clings, 

And  round  his  form  his  briny  anus 
And  subtlest  glamours  deftly  flint:.-, 

With  all   his  sulamandrine  charms, — 
Buoys  him  with  its  powerful  wings 
Athrough  the  breakers'  sullen  roar, 
Until  he  stands  on  Safety's  shore. 


68  LEGEND   OF   THE   CROWN. 

Rave  the  disappointed  waves, 
As  they  sunder, 
Growling  thunder, 

From  their  monster-haunted  caves. 
Screams,  as  shrieks  the  thwarted  sea, 
Odin's  bird  triumphantly. 
Sunbeams  splendor  all  its  form ; 

Till,  like  a  phoenix-winged  fire, 

Mounting  high,  and  mounting  higher! 
It  passes  to  the  realm  of  storm; 
Where,  in  a  cloud  as  red  as  slaughter, 
It  vanished  like  foam-flake  in  water. 

Then  from  the  skies'  effulgency 
Came  voice  of  rarest  melody, 
Which  fell  upon  each  listening  ear 
In  tones  which  rung  celestial  clear: 

"  Ne'er  despair ! 

For  the  true  hearts  are  the  fair, 
And  brave  spirits  kingdoms  are; 
Through  willing  ears 
Great  Odin  hears, 

And  hearing,  grants  as  virtue's  meed 
Success  to  every  noble  deed 

When  urged  by  guileless  prayer." 


STORY    OF   THE    FORGET-ME-NOT. 

EARTH  shrinking  from  the  ardent  gaze  of  Day, 
Diana's  tender  smile  was  fondly  waiting, 
When,  in  the  sombre  shadow  of  a  wood 
Which  fringed  the  margin  of  an  Alpine  lake, 
A  Knight  and  Lady  wooed  the  fickle  breeze. 
Bright  were  her  eyes;    beyond   compare  her  form, 
So  like  a  Sylph's  that  o'er  the  mead  she  moved 
Scarce  bending  grass-blades  'neath  her  airy  tread. 
Her  cheeks  and  lips  were  hued  so  delicate 
That  roses,  gazing,  blushed  a  deeper  red; 
While  envious  lilies  drooped  their  pallid  heads 
And  filled  the  amorous  airs  with  fragrant  sighs. 
Graced  was  the  Knight  with  all  Apollo's  charms 
Such  as  no  maiden,  seeing,  could  resist; 
Or,  if  she  did,  her  fluttering  heart  would  bear 

» 

Forever  traces  of  the  love-plumed  shaft. 
Arm  twined  in  arm,  with  fond  reliance  filled, 
Like  confidence  upon  the  arm  of  might 
She  strayed,  and  gazing  in  his  gracious  eyes, 
Thrilled  all  his  bosom  with  electric  words 
Which  moved  him  to  an  ecstasy  of  bliss. 

7*  69 


70  STORY   OF  THE  FORGET-ME-NOT. 

Before  them,  like  a  shimmering  glory,  lay 
The  placid  waters  of  the  sylvan  lake; 
And  on  its  bosom,  like  an  emerald  mount 
Dissolving  in  a  sea  of   molten  gems 
Embossed  with  smiling  clumps  of  od'rous  flowers, 
An  island  slumbered  in  a  golden  trance. 
With  longing  eyes  she  gazed  upon  its  banks, 
And  sighed  a  maiden's  wish  that  she  might  wear 
A  flower  from  its  "Summer-painted  strand. 
Her  every  wish  his  law,  her  smile  his  heaven, 
He  left  her  side;  and,  instant,  from  the  bank 
Plunged  headlong  in  the  crystal  tide  and  clove 
With  love-nerved  arm  the  chill,  elastic  flood, 
And  breathless  landed  on  the  distant  beach. 
With  dainty  touch  he  culled  the  fragrant  mead, 
And  with  bouquet  of  azure-tinted  flowers, 
Like  brave  Leander  strove  to  reaoh  his  love., 

With  jealous  eyes  the  foam-engendered  Naiads, 

Urged  by  the  ferine  demon  of    the  depths, 

Had  watched   his  course  and    marked   him  for  their 

own  ; 
And    now,    from    spangled    caves    and    wave-flower 

haunts, 

They  sought  his  presence  with  an  arrowy  speed 
That  sheened  the  wavelets  with  phosphorent  glow. 
In  shining  bauds  they  gathered  round  his  form, 


STORY  OF  THE  FORGET-ME-NOT.  71 

<v 

And  lapped  in  sportive  dalliance,  they  wound 
Their  watery  arms  around  his  bending  neck ; 
Kissed  with  their  clammy  lips  the  beaded  spray 
Which  dewed  itself  about  his  wave-wooed  mouth, 
And  sung  in  rippling  murmurs  to  his  ears. 
In  trailing  cerements  of  willowy  sedge, 
All  foam-flake  clustered  round  their  limpid  throats, 
Their  misty  heads  with  water-lilies  crowned, 
The  amorous  Nereids  all  serenely  came 
Insidious,  and   with  their  icy  touch 
Cramped    his  limp   limbs  and   charmed   his  strength 
away. 

With  sorrowing  eyes  he  cast  a  lingering  look 
Win.1  re  strayed  the  object  of  his  heart's  desire. 
And,  oh,  the  agony  that  shook  his  frame 
And  pierced  his  soul  with  sorrow-shafts  of  dole, 
As  on  the  beach  he  saw  her  kneeling  form, 
With  outstretched  arms  and  agonizing  lips 
Loud  calling  on  the  Virgin  Queen  of  heaven. 
To  save  him  for  the  sake  of  her  dear  Son. 
Th^n  ere  he  sunk  to  rise  again  no  more, 
With  frenzied  arm  impelled  with  dying  power 
He  broke  the  spell  that  drew  him  underneath, 
And  flung  toward  the  spot  where  kneeled  his  love 
The  blue-hued   flowers   whose  purchase  was  his  life: 
He  sunk  away  into  the  waiting  arms 


72  STORY  OF   THE  FORGET-ME-NOT. 

Which  folded  him  in  many  a  chill  embrace, 
And  bore  him  gently  to  the  longing  queen 
Empalaced  in  the  mystery  of  the  lake, 
While  straying  Zephyr  wafted  to  the  shore 
The  \ving6d  words  which  bubbled  from  his  lips  : 
"Forget  me  not,  sweet  love,  forget  me  not." 

From  soughing  reed  the  startled  heron  sprung 

On  fluttering  wings,  and  then,  in  circling  swoop, 

It  sought  its  nest  with  angry  boding  cry. 

The  wild  swans'  matin  flooded  all  the  air 

With  music  sweet  as  is  the  voice  of  song 

When  melting  on  the  fervent  soul  of  love ; 

Then  all  was  silent,  save  a  wave-sprite's  sob, 

As,  pityingly,  she  sought  the  fatal  spot, 

Caught  with  her  aqueous  touch  a  straying  flower, 

And,  gliding  onward  with  a  murmuring  plaint, 

Stole  softly  up  the  pebbled  shore,  and  laid 

It  gently  at  the  frantic  maiden's  feet ; 

Then  shrunk  away  in  timid  pulsings,  till 

She  sobbed  herself  to  rest  in  tranquil  depths, 

And  passed,  in  dream,  to  heaven's  celestial  sea.     . 

AVith  icy  touch  the  maiden  tenderly 

Pressed  to  her  pallid  lips  the  conscious  flower 

Wh«»se   fragrant   breath   seemed    burthened  with    the 

words, 
"Forget  me  not,  sweet  love,  forget  me  not." 


STORY  OF  THE   FORGET-ME-NOT.  73 

The  moonbeams  sheened  the  waters,  and  the  stars, 

All  cold,  and  shivering,  tipped  each  tranquil  wave 

With  starry  crest,  and  gazed  upon  her  form ; 

As,  with  self-chidings,  eyes  devoid  of  tears, 

She  swooned  away  into  a  death-like  trance: 

And    there   they    found    her,    when,    with    measured 

strides, 

The  mailed  retainers  sought  her  straying  feet, 
Drawn  there  by  nightingale,  which,  by  her  side, 
On  hazel  spray,  held  sacred  watch  and  sung 
A  mournful  descant  fraught  with  love  and  death. 

On  frame  of  boughs  they  placed  her  pulseless  form, 
Then  sought  with  anxious  steps  the  Castle's  hall, 
Through  whose  arched    portals  swelled  loud  cries  of 

woe 

From  quivering  lips,  which  spake  a  mother's  grief, 
A-  onward  pressed  the  sire,  an  ancient  Knight, 
With  stormy  brows  and  wrath  so  ill-concealed 
That  they  who  followed  after  said  he  raved 
And  clutched  the  cross-hilt    of  his  pond'rous  brand, 
And  muttered  imprecations  fierce  on  -those 
Who  dared  to  lead  her  unto  danger's  path, 
Or  harm  a  hair  of  her,  his  cherished  pride. 
But  when  he  gazed  upon  her  prostrate  form 
And  wax-like  features,  pressed  with  seal  of  death, 
He  kneeled  beside  her  on  the  dewy  sward, 


74  STORY  OF   THE   FORGRT-ME-NOT. 

And   with  his  trembling  fingers'  soft  caress, 
Drew  from  her  forehead,  chill,  the  clammy  hair, 
And  with  wan  lips  pressed  to  her  bloodless   cheek, 
Told  all  his  agony  in  blinding  tears. 

With  solemn  steps  advanced  St.  Francis'  monk. 

His  snowy  locks,  escaping  from  his  cowl 

Upon  his  breast,  fell  mingling  with   his  beard  ; 

And  as  he  gazed  upon  the  touching  sight, 

More  mournful  through  the  torches'  ruddy  glare, 

He  turned  away  his  head  and  deeply  sighed. 

At  his  approach  the  sorrowing  throng  withdrew, 

Crossing  their  breasts;    and   with  a  silent  vow 

Each  vowed  a  gift  unto  his  favorite  saint 

If  he  would  interpose  and  save  her  life, — 

For  each  one  loved  her  more  than  passing  well ; 

Because,  full  oft,  like  messenger  from  heaven, 

When  the  red  tide  of  onset  had  passed  o'er, 

With  skilful  hands  she  staunched  their  oozing  gore ; 

And  eased  with  herb  and  balm  each  smarting  wound  ; 

And  poured  sweet  consolation  in  their  ears ; 

And  acts  of  kindness  did  to  them  and  theirs 

Until  they  loved  her  with  a  love  as  great 

As  manly  hearts  can  yield  to  gentleness. 

With  kindly  force  the  priestly  healer  turned 
The  grieving  sire  from  his  heart's  delight ; 


STORY  OF  THE  FORGET-ME-NOT.  75 

Then  plied  with   wondrous  skill  the  leech's  art; 

And,  aided   by  elixir  of  great  fame, 

Distilled  from  dews  and  precious  essences, 

And  herbs  of  virtue,  in  chaste  alembic, 

By  patient  Wisdom's  peerless  alchemist, 

In  an  enchanted  cave  of  Araby  : 

Thence   brought   by   Pope-blessed   pilgrim-missioned 

monk 

In  crystal  vial  ta'en  from  Egypt's  King 
Entombed  in  heart  of  Sphinx-eyed  pyramid, 
Purged  of  all  heathenness  and  demon  arts, 
And  blessed  to  heaven  and  heaven's  sweet  designs, 
By  saint  whose  soul  had  won  immortal  bliss 
Upon  the  flaming 'wings  of  martyrdom, — 
Soft  wooed  her  spirit  to  its  earthly  shrine 
And  stirred  to  breath  the  fountain  of  her  life. 

##-::#** 

But  she  ne'er  smiled  again.     Though  oft  her  praise 
By  joyous  minstrel,  bard,  and  knight  was  sung 
At  camp  and  court,  and  lance  was  lain  in  rest 
And  axe  and  brand  in  tourney  and  in  field 
Were  raised  to  champion  her  as  Beauty's  queen; 
Though  princely  suitors  wooed  with  gifts  and  sighs, 
And  at  her  footstool  bent  the  stubborn  knee, 
Unmoved  she  stood,  a  statue  warm  with  life; 
A  mortal  lily  vow-*betrothed  to  death, 
Whose  heart  was  wave-enshrined  and  ever  sighed 


76  STORY  OF  THE  FORGET-ME-NOT, 

The  silent  language  of  the  mystic  flower, — 
"  Forget  me  not,  sweet  love,  forget  me  not." 

As  way-worn  pilgrim  from  the  sacred  shrine 
Bore  on  his  bosom  splinter  of  that  cross 
Upon  whose  frame  the  Son  of  Glory  died, 
So  she,  in  gem-bossed  locket,  wore  alway 
The  sad  memento  of  undying  love  ; 
And  ever  to  her  yearning  soul  it  sighed 
The  mournful  burden  of  that  dying  voice, — 
"  Forget  me  not,  sweet  love,  forget  me  not." 

By  day  she  heard  but  this,  and  oft  in  dreams, 
When  pitying  Midnight  kissed  the  world  to  sleep, 
That  dying  plaint  would  haunt  her  restless  couch, 
And  stir  her  to  a  deep  and  poignant  grief. 
Nor  long  she  bore  the  life-consuming  care; 
For  like  a  dear  and  welcome  visitor, 
Sweet  Death,  with  gentle  soothings,  brought  relief, 
And  tranced  her  spirit  to  its  longed-for  rest. 

Amid  the  buried  grandeur  of  the  past 
They  laid  her, — dust  to  dust, — and  o'er  her  corse 
Reared  monumental  pile,  whose  marble  front 
Was  void  of  tribute  from  the  artist's  hand 
Save  sculptured  flower  upon  a  broken  stem, 
And  underneath,  the  words,   "Forget  me  not." 


BALLAD  OF  COLIN  CLOVER. 

THE  eve  was  calm  as  mother  Eve, 

As  lovely  and  as  fair, 
When  Colin  "guessed"  he'd  take  a  walk 

And  with  it  take  the  air. 

High  on  his  head  his  hat  he  hung; 

Raised  Uncle  Abel's  cane; 
Fired  his  meerschaum  pipe,  and  strode 

With  silence  down  Love's  lane. 

In  stately  rows  above  him  rose 
Huge  oak-trees  gnarled  and  dense, 

Which  threw  their  limbs  and  shadows  o'er 
The  fence  without  offence. 

His  cheerful  mind  strayed  while  he  strayed, 

And  'scaped  his  lips  in  glee 
Which  chorded  in  a  sweet  accord 

With  Nature's  minstrelsy. 

His  two-feet  footsteps  brought  him  to 

A  fairy-haunted  dell, 
Between  whose  flower-spangled  slopes 

A  babbling  streamlet  fell. 

8  77 


78  COLIN  CLOVER. 

Upon  its  marge  he  sat  him  down 

In  contemplative  mood, 
Feeding  his  epicurean  mind 

With  intellectual  food. 

Then  did  his  thoughts  like  birds  fly  through 

His  sentimental  brain, 
And,  lighting  on  his  ambered  lips, 

Poured  forth  this  sad  complain : 

Glide  on,  ye  gentle  waters,  glide 

Toward  the  palmy  South, 
And  let  the  sorrow  of  your  head 

Flow  seaward  through  your  mouth. 

And  as  ye  glance  by  mead  and  vale, 

Pregnate  each  wanton  breeze 
With  embryonic  murmurs  of 

The  far-resounding  seas. 

Kiss  the  sweet  flowers  whose  perfumed  heads 

Find  on  thy  bosom  rest, 
And  sigh  when  rude  winds  agitate 

The  calmness  of  your  breast. 

Blush  when  the  amorous  glance  of  sun 

Invades  thy  bed,  and  sigh 
When  hungry  trout,  by  artful  Art, 

Is  caught  out  on  a  fly. 


COLIN  CLOVER.  79 

Remirror  hill,  cot,  mill,  and  trees 

Which  breathe  thy  murmurings ; 
Reflect  chaste  Dian  and  her  bow, 

With  Saturn  and  his  rings. 

Thou'rt  yet  a  rill,  full  soon  to  be 

A  stream  so  deep  and  wide, 
That  on  thy  tide  will  steamers  steam, 

And  knaves  and  navies  ride. 

Then  brought  to  bay,  through  gulf  thou'lt  stray, 

Till,  lost  in  ocean's  waves, 
You'll  answer  to  the  breakers'  whoop 

In  melancholy  staves. 

Emblem  of  Time,  whose  solemn  tide 

Bears  life  unto  that  sea 
Whose  waters  lave  the  dreamy  shores 

Of  dread  Eternity. 

Thus  mused  he,  till  a  piercing  shriek 

Assailed  his  drowsy  ears, 
And  stayed  the  current  of  his  mind 

From  running  out  in  tears. 

Thoughtless  of  gain,  he  gained  his  feet; 

Surveyed  the  country  round ; 
Then  left  his  survey,  hat  and  cane, 

To  find  the  source  of  sound. 


80  COLIN  CLOVER. 

Down  in  the  meadow,  where  the  mead 

Filled  chin-shine  buttercups, 
He  saw,  beside  a  score  of  cows 

And  gamb'ling  lambs  and  pups, 

A  sight  which  icicled  his  blood 

And  froze  him  to  a  pause, 
While,  like  excited  castanets, 

Chattered  his  sparse-haired  jaws. 

There,  right  before  him,  shrieking,  flew 

On  terror's  frantic  wings 
A  red-frocked  maid,  pursued  by  bull 

Propelled  by  hornet  stings. 

Like  Ivanhoe  when  Beckie  called, 

He  hastened  to  her  aid, 
Whooping,  like  savage  charging  foe, 

To  make  the  beast  afraid. 

"Oh,  save  me!  save  me!"  gaspe"d  she; 

And  staggering,  in  her  charms, 
Beside  herself,  unto  his  side, 

Wilted  within  his  arms. 

*     With  pressman's  strength  he  raised  her  form, 

Both  arms  about  her  waist; 
Wasted  no  time,  but,  letter-like, 
Passed  post  and  rail  in  haste, 


COLIN  CLOVER.  81 

On  came  the  beast,  with  bellowing  roar, 

A  hundred  rods  behind, 
His  nasal  organ  furrowing  grass, 

His  caudal  winnowing  wind. 

Ne'er  did  gay  Matadore  bull-bait, 

At  Seville  or  at  Cadiz, 
A  bull  more  moody  in  his  mood, 

More  frigh'tful  to  the  ladies. 

Like  the  fierce  Minotaur  of  Crete, 

He  wanted  human  blood 
To  quench  his  quenchless  ire  and  thirst, 

And  salivate  his  cud. 

Ah !  'twas  a  stirring  sight  to  see 

The  strivings  of  that  race, 
And  mark  the  sweat-drops  ooze,  and  course 

Down  Coliu's  fear-flushed  face; 

To  see  his  muscles  on  a  swell ; 

To  eye  his  saucer  eyes, 
Which  looked  for  all  the  world  just  like 

A  calf's  eyes  at  demise. 

His  "swallow-tail,"  like  streamer,  flew 

Back  with  the  virgin's  dress, 
And  Scrutiny,  beneath,  might  see 

A  signal  of  distress. 
8* 


COLIN  CLOVER. 

On,  on  he  pressed.     Unlike  Lot's  wife, 

He  never  looked  behind, 
But  forward  to  the  pinewood  fence 

For  which  his  spirit  pined. 

Like  Alcibiades  of  eld, 

He  strove  to  win  the  goal, 
While,  panorama-like,  his  life 

Flashed  through  his  flutt'ring  soul. 

As  he  drew  near  to  Safety's  side, 

The  beast  drew  near  to  him, 
Until  life's  chance,  like  waning  star, 

Paled  dim,  dim,  dimmer,  dim. 

He  gained  the  fence.     Recruiting  strength, 

He  raised  his  senseless  load, 
And  to  old  mother  earth  beyond 

His  beauty  he  bestowed. 

But  ere,  car-like,  he  jumped  the  rail, 

His  bullship  turned  his  steer, 
Which  brought  him  with  a  queue-de-grace 

On  his  defenceless  rear. 

Alas !  poor  Colin  !     Temperate  youth  ! 

His  prospect  was  forlorn  ! 
He  couldn't  leave  the  cattle-bar 

Until  he  took  a  horn. 


COLIN  CLOVER.  33 

High  in  the  air  his  father's  heir 

Sped  like  a  ball  from  gun, 
And  though  'twas  time  for  stars  to  shine, 

Yet  rising  was  the  son ; 

Describing  mathematic  curves 

In  summ'ry  summerset, 
He  halted,  like  tired  troops  at  night, 

'Mongst  stones,  sand,  grass,  and  wet. 

Stunned  for  the  moment  there  he  lay, 

An  humble  layman ;   he 
Had  nearly  ended  his  career 

Without  doxology. 

His  scattered  senses  one  by  one 

Resought  his  aching  head ; 
On  his  reserve  for  strength  he  called, 

To  raise  him  from  his  bed. 

He  rubbed  his  eyes;  scratched  rear;  felt  ribs; 

Then  finger-ploughed  his  hair, 
Till  satisfied,  though  'ware  of  earth, 

He  was  not  earthenware. 

Urged  by  a  kindly  sympathy, 

He  kneeled  upon  the  sand ; 
Without  felonious  intent, 

He  took  the  maiden's  hand. 


84  COLIN  CLOVER. 

Though  cold  as  zero,  yet  the  touch 
Thrilled  Venus  through  his  frame, 

While  Hymen  fired  his  pulsing  heart 
With  love's  ecstatic  flame. 

Enchantment  held  him  with  her  spells,- 

Rome's  saintliest  anchorite 
Had  lost  his  hold  on  heaven  had  he 

Beheld  the  luscious  sight. 

Her  hair  in  glossy  ringlets  fell 
Around  a  neck  which  rose 

In  queenly  beauty  from  the  sphere 
Where  pleasure  seeks  repose. 

Waxed  alabaster  seemed  her  face; 

Her  voiceless  lips  apart, 
Vied  with  the  ivory  of  her  teeth 

To  captivate  his  heart. 

Her  arrowy  form  seemed  like  a  Fay's; 

Figment  of  Artist's  brain, — 
Perfection  all  unconscious  hid 

In  folds  of  her  delaine. 

Alarmed,  he  raised  a  note  of  woe, 

And  bore  her  to  a  bank 
Which  broke,  or  seemed  to  issue  from 

A   water-lilied  tank. 


COLIN  CLOVER.  85 

With  whining  voice  and  water  bright 

He  bathed  her  on  champaign, 
And,  sailor-like  when  ship  makes  port, 

He  brought  her  to  amain. 

Life's  necromancer,  stealing  through 

Her  pearly  veins  so  fair, 
The  lilies  from  her  cheeks  bewitched, 

And  conjured  roses  there. 

As  timid  sunbeam,  coyish,  peeps 

From  cloud  of  summer  skies, 
So,  from  the  windows  of  her  soul, 

Peeped  forth  the  glad  surprise. 

She  moved,  though  'twasn't  moving  day, 

And  let  a  thrilling  sigh 
Elope  with  one  from  Colin's  breast, 

And  with  it  seek  the  sky. 

Peach-blossom  blushes  frolicked  o'er 

Her  cheeks  in  rosy  play, 
While  smiling  smiles,  in  amorous  mood, 

Beguiled  his  care  away. 

In  voice  attuned  to  peacock  air, 

Ejaculated  she, 
"  If  't  hadn't  been  for  you,  kind  sir, 

A  spirit  now  I'd  be. 


gg  COLIN  CLOVER. 

"  Ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  thanks 

To  you  I  now  impart, 
Yet  they  can  ne'er  express  to  you 

The  tribute  of  my  heart. 

"My  name  is  Dolly  Rural,  sir, 
Squire  Truly  Rural's  daughter  ; 

I'm  visiting  my  uncle  Sam, 

Whose  house  stands  by  yon  water. 

"As  I  meandered  down  the  lane, 

To  gather  home  the  cows, 
I  thought  I'd  take  the  nearest  cut 

Across  that  critter's  browse. 

"You  know  the  rest  as  well  as  me, — 
But,  oh,  good  laud  a  massy ! 

I  never  dreamed  Dad  Grimshaw's  bull 
Was  so  confounded  sassy." 

Dispelled  the  charm.     Brave  Colin's  heart 
Fluttered  like  wind-stirred  flag, 

Causing  his  head  and  hand  to  give 
A  sentimental  wag. 

His  love  oozed  out.     His  ardor  cooled 

Like  melted  sealing-wax ; 
He  didn't  feel  like  Eucherer  feels, 

With  ace  and  both  the  jacks. 


COLIN  CLOVER.  37 

But  arm  in  arm  he  lerl  her  then 

Unto  her  uncle's  gate; 
Squeezed  both  her  hands;  thrice  kissed  "good-night;" 

Then  left,  though  pressed  to  wait. 


From  that  time  forward,  Colin  was 

To  Doll  a  welcome  guest; 
To  please  him  she,  with  pa  and  ma, 

Essayed  their  level  best. 

And  all  the  neighbors,  far  and  near, 
From  White's  to  Browns's  patch, 

Winked,  while  each  to  other  said, 
"They'll  surely  make  a  match." 

Now  Sentiment  would  make  two  one, 

Likewise  a  lass,  alas ! 
But  Truth  bids  Honesty  proclaim, 

It  never  came  to  pass. 

For  twelve  months  after, — more  or  less,- 

Bold  Colin  went  his  way ; 
Nor  tarried  long  before  he  wed 

The  rich  young  widow  Grey. 


88  COLIN  CLOVER. 

And  Dollie?  She  got  "spliced"  to  Joe,— 
Dad  Grirashaw's  youngest  son, — 

Though  often  Colin  and  the  bull 
Through  her  mind's  eye  would  run. 

Then  all  the  gossips  thereabouts, 

With  shrug,  and  eyes  aglow, 
Mouthed,  "Pooh!    I  knew  they'd  never  mate,- 

I  always  told  you  so." 


LOVE    IN    A    PALACE. 

SCENE. — A  Parlor  in  a  lordly  English  mansion. 

IN  parlor,  throned  in  royal  state, 

On  velvet-cushioned  tete-a-tete, 
The  lovers  in  a  golden  revery  sat, 
Exhausting  all  the  luxury  of  chat, 
And  listening  to  the  humming  birds  and  bees 
Whose  buzzings  floated  through  the  waving  trees. 

Across  the  carpets  wove  with  Orient  dyes, 
Whene'er  the  gauzy  curtains,  zephyr-swayed, 

Let  in  a  straying  sunbeam  from  the  skies, 

They  watched  it  come  and  go,  and  dusk,  and  fade, 

Awhile  the  spirits  of  the  odorous  breeze 

Danced  lightly  o'er  the  grand  piano's  keys. 

Out  through  the  open  lattice,  rose-embowered, 
And  honeysuckle-twined,  and  jasmine-flowered, 
They  saw,  at  foot  of  purple-mantled  hills, 
The  river's  glimmer, — heard  the  laugh  of  rills, 
Till  o'er  an  ocean  of  voluptuous  bliss 
Their  fancies  floated  in  a  love-born  kiss. 

9  89 


90  LOVE  IN  A   PALACE. 

About  them  gold-set  mirrors  frescos  showed, 
And  imaged  to  their  eyes  rare  works  of  art, 

Which  fed  their  minds  with  pleasure  till  they  glowed 
And  warmed  to  love,  the  language  of  the  heart. 

Sweet  "Genevieve,"  with  saintly  smile, 
Gazed  on  them  from  her  framed  recess, 

While  near  them,  with  her  lips  of  guile, 
"Lucretia"  wooed  the  fiend's  caress. 

Brave  "Boadicea,"  Briton's  pride, 

Leaned  near  "Rowena,"  Hengist's  bride; 
While  o'er  them  rare  "  Godiva"  rode, 

"In  shower-bath  of  golden  hair," 
Through  streets  where  breathless  Silence  strode; 

While  peeping  Tom,  with  blasted  sight, 

Writhed  in  the  agonies  of  night, 

And  cursed  the  noontide's  glare. 

There,  in  the  pride  of  womanhood, 
On  dizzy  copestone  of  the  tower, 

With  scornful  lips,  "Rebecca"  stood, 
Defying  Guilbert's  haughty  power. 

Anear  them,  framed  elaborately, 
Stern  "Canute"  sat  beside  the  sea, 
Bidding  the  savage  white-crest  waves 
Retire,  quiescent,  to  their  caves. 


LOVE  IN  A   PALACE.  91 

Beyond,  crazed  Lear's  emaciate  form, 
His  white  hairs  flowing  with  the  wind, 

Defied,  on  heath,  the  "  naughty"  storm, 
And  poured  his  curses  on  mankind. 


On  other  hand,  by  windmills'  mote 
Rode  Sancho  and  brave  Don  Quixote; 
And,  as  companions,  "  Hudibras 

And  Ralpho,"  when  they  first  rode  forth 
In  warlike  guise  and  stained  cuirass, 

To  scourge  the  "Godless"  of  the  North. 

Before  them,  loving  "  Romeo 
And  Juliet"  in  a  fond  embrace, 

Shunning  the  moon's  effulgency, 

Stood  in  the  dusk  of  secrecy, 

Their  fluttering  spirits  all  aglow, 

With  heart  to  breast  and  cheek  to  face; 


And  on  them  they  both  fixed  their  gaze 
And  dreamed  the  love  of  other  days, 

Until,  in  warm  caress, 
Like  Zephyr  wantoning  in  flower, 
In  bliss  they  breathed  "a  vast   half-hour" 

Amid  the  silentness. 


92  LOVE  IN  A   PALACE. 

The  marble  Venus  by  their  side 
Approved  their  rapturous  bliss, 
While  Cupid,  with  a  lover's  pride, 
Seemed  light  and  airily  to  glide 
His  Psyche  loved  to  kiss. 


Attendant  Fays,  delirious  with  the  sight, 

Floated  upon  the  crystal  waves  of  light; 

And  music,  disenthralled  from  prison  strings 

Of  jewel-fretted  harp;  then, .folding  wings, 

They  sighed  a  rapturous  melody, 

Caught  from  the  pearl-lipped  shells  of  sea, 

While  fretful  one,  aeolianly, 

Whispered,  "  Straying  honey  bee', 

Away!   it  seemeth  ill  to  thee 

In  a  parlor  thus  to  seek 

Rosy  bloom  of  virgin  cheek. 

Reckless,  teasing  fly,  astray, 

From  her  presence  stay  away! 

Death,  and  that,  too,  suddenly, 
From  Love's  hand  will  come  to  thee, 
If  thou,  wanton,  chance  to  rest 
On  the  chasteness  of  her  breast, 
Or  from  chalice  of  her  lip 
Undertake  to  filch  a  sip 


LOVE  IN  A   PALACE.  93 

Of  Elysian  ecstasy 

Nurtured  there  for  Love,  not  thee, 

Which  he  guardeth  jealously." 


Then  agitated  sylphs  of  bloom, 
Swinging  censers  of  perfume, 
Athrough  the  silence  of  the  room, 
Chaunted,  as  they  breathed  their  sighs, 
And  felt  the  influence  of  their  eyes, 
"Oh,  essence  of  deliciousness ! 
Oh,  heaven  of  earthly  happiness! 
See !  see  !  they  drink  ! — how  dreamily  ! — 
The  wine  of  love  pressed  from  the  grapes 
Which  purple  with  their  joys  the  capes 
Laved  by  the  waves  of  Arcadie! 
Cease,  throbbing  heart,  and  list  Love's  feet 
Fall,  tinkling,  to  the  luscious  greet. 
See  Mjubbling,  upward  floats  a  kiss, 
Freighted  with  sighs  and  hallowed  bliss; 
Waft  it,  oh,  waft  it,  spirits,  straight 
To  Dian's  court  by  heaven's  gate." 

Evanished  they  with  faint  melodious  sighing, 
When  from  an  oleander's  scent  came  flying 
.V  wingecl  voice,  which  carolled  amorously 
To  the  soft  flutes  of  Fairy  minstrelsy, — 
9* 


94  LOVE  IN  A    PALACE. 

"  Warbling  sprite  of  gilded  bars, 
Save  your  warble  for  the  stars; 
Locust,  cease  your  grating  drone, 
Grasshopper,  your  monotone; 
Katydid,  your  sad  complaint 
Keep  for  ear  of  pitying  saint ; 
Alabastered  Niobe, 
Wed  to  fountain  cunningly, 
Dry  your  eyes  and  cease  to  weep 
While  you  croon  yourself  to  sleep ; 
For  ye  but  disturb  the  rest 
Of  Love,  who  loveth  silence  best." 

Then  from  the  hills  of  Echo,  far  remote, 
A  still-born  whisper,  halcyonly,  did  float ; 
And,  floating,  murmured  so  delicious  clear, 
That  Fancy  caught  these  words  on  raptured  ear 

"  Zephyr,  fold  your  sultry  wing 

And  cease  your  airy  gossiping; 

Myth  of  air  and  elf  of  breeze, 

Curb  your  tipsy  jollities ; 

Mite  of  dusk  and  mote  of  beam, 

Vain  Ephemera  of  gleam, 

Strangle  your  hilarity 

And  for  the  moment  cease  to  be; 

Revellers  in  Thought's  domain, 

All  your  gypsyings  restrain, 


LOVE  IN  A   PALACE.  95 

Lest  ye,  with  concerted   breath, 
Bring  to  an  untimely  death 
The  single  thought  which  doth  obtain 
Possession  of  the  lover's  brain." 


Imagination,  with  a  sigh 

As  fond  as  mother's  lullaby, 

Spake  through  the  marble  lips  of  Venus,  nigh 

The  pair,  whose  glowing  souls  absorbed  in  sky, 

Heard  neither  knock  nor  telephone's  soft  cry: 

"Proud  magnolia,  your  scent 

Self-absorb,  and  somnolent 

Poppy- Peris,  stay  awhile 

The  subtle  glamour  of  your  guile; 

Pansied  heart's-ease,  your  vain  sighing 

Cease,  lest  start  ye  Love's  thoughts  flying; 

Wildiug  Fancy,  floating  free 

Through  the  mind's  tranquillity, 

Siesta  take  ye  now,  nor  call 

Precious  memories  from  pall ; 

Weird  Enchantment,  work  the  spell 

Which  Experience  knoweth  well ; 

Sunbeam,  stay  your  glittering, — 

Each  and  every  sound  take  wing; 

Bird,  fount,  flower,  thought,  and  gleam, 

Conspire  to  sweeten  Love's  young  dream." 


96  LOVE  IN  A   PALACE. 

Thrilled  to  her  bosom's  core,  her,  hand, 
All  love-a-tremble,  then  he  pressed 
To  his  pale  lips  and  pulsing  breast; 
As  if  at  conjurer's  command, 
Upbubbled  from  her  well  of  sighs 
Into  the  sunlight  of  her  eyes, 
Her  beamy  soul,  which,  sparkling,  fell 

In  showers  on  his  kneeling  form, 
Like  subtleness  of  magic  spell 

On  passions  rapturously  warm : 
And  then  she  breathed  the  witchery 
Of  love's  delicious  sorcery, 
While  he,  like  captive  bird  when   beauty  flings 
Her  jewelled  fingers  o'er  its  prisoned  wings, 
All  trembling  whispered  to  her  ravished  ear 
Th'  impassioned  words  Love  ever  hopes  to  hear 

"Wilt then  be  mine,  love?   Deign  reply! 
Speak,  dearest,  speak,  else  will  I  die ! 
Charm  of  my  soul, — my  amulet ! 
Consent  to  be  my  Juliet. 
Speak,  darling,  speak,  my  soul,  in  gloom, 
Impatient  waits  to  hear  its  doom  : 
Life  of  my  life, — love's  violet! 
Oh,  say  thou'lt  be  my  Juliet !" 

Cupid,  enraptured,  whirled  in  ecstasy 
And  effervesced  champagneously, 


LOVE  IN  A   PALACE.  97 

Frisking  in  pantomime;  and  as  he  boomed 

He  twanged  his  bow,  his  wanton  shaft  replumed, 

Smiling  the  while  a  mirth-provoking  smile, 

Delicious  as  the  subtlety  of  guile ; 

And  in  delirium  of  joy,  his  dart 

He  pointed  point-blank  at  his  mother's  heart ; 

But  she  ne'er  stirred  nor  heeded  him  at  all. 

Mutely  entranced,  she  leaned  from  pedestal, 

Gazing  with  marble  gaze  on  mirrored  wall 

At  her  own  image,  which,  imbued  with  life 

By  ardent  sun-god,  watched  the  amorous  strife 

Pervading,  with  her  influence,  the  pair, 

Absorbing  all  the  wine-bouquet  of  air. 

Sighing  ambrosially  and  chaste 

As,  spirit-urged,  about  her  virgin  waist 

He  wound  his  eager  arm,  voluptuously, 

And  drew  her  to  himself, — Divinity, 

Which  pilots  Love  o'er  Passion's  lustful  sea 

And  safely  harbors  it  in  chastity ; 

Spirit,  whose  cohorts  guard  the  citadel 

Where  Modesty  and  Purity  do  dwell, 

Be  on  alert !   "Pis  now  Fate  weaves  the  spell 

Which  wafts  the  soul  to  bliss,  or  warps  to  hell; 

And  you,  celestial  Harmonist,  set  free 

.The  enambered  soul  of  heavenly  Harmony, 

And  bid  her  in  sweet  dream  of  melody 

Sigh  to  the  mind  a  mystic  rhapsody, 


gg  LOVE   TN  A    PALACE. 

And  to  the  mind  reveal  where,  of  lust  shorn, 
Passion  expires  and  guileless  love  is  born  : 
Yea,  to  our  blunted  senses  demonstrate, — 

As  palpable  as  light  unto  the  eye, 

Or  mist  when  mingling  with  the  morning  sky,- 
The  blending  of  two  souls,  decreed  by  Fate 
To  pass  united  through  this  mortal  state, 

And  through  the  changes  of  eternity. 


Exuded  from  the  fragrant  atmosphere, 
As  noiselessly  as  oozes  Pity's  tear, 
All  daintily  arrayed  in  sundusk  gear, 
A  troop  of  wayward  fancies,  exquisite, 
Who,  charging  all  the  air  with  subtle  wit, 
Conjured  to  smile  the  Demon  of  despair, 
And  charmed  the  wrinkles  from  the  brow  of  Care; 
And  with  the  Fancies  came,  bewitchingly, 
A  tawny  rout  of  truant  Phantasies, 
Who,  mixing  with  the  teeming  Atomies 
Which  haunt  the  tissues  of  the  Poet's  brain, 
And  thrill  the  soul  with  Love's  ecstatic  pain, 
Filled  with  their  presence  the  enamoured  air 
Which  wrapped  in  warm  embrace  the  happy  pair, 
To  feast,  if  might  be,  on  the  dulcet  sound 
Made  by  the  expected  word  from  hearts  profound, 
The  golden  answer  to  Love's  ardent  prayer. 


LOVE  IN  A    PALACE.  99 

Nestling  within  her  mind,  like  fledgling  bird 
Loath  to  depart  from  mother's  fond  caress, 
Where  all  is  loving  care  and  tenderness, — 
The  magic  Word  remained,  nor  breathed,  nor  stirred, 
Though  freighted  with  a  vast,  sweet,  fierce  desire 
To  gain  the  wooer's  heart  and  quench  its  amorous  fire. 
Entangled  in  bewilderment  it  dozed, 
Awhile  the  portals  of  her  mind  were  closed; 
Till,  spirit-stirred,  as  star-beam  in  eclipse 
Struggles  to  gain  the  day,  it  struggled  to  her  lips 
While  lovingly  her  dainty  finger-tips, 
Unconscious,  trifled  with  th'  emblazoned  crest 
Which  flashed  and  glittered  from  his  throbbing  breast; 
And  there  it  perched  in  blushing  ecstasy, 
An  airy  waif  on  mount  of  Mystery, 
Dreaming  irradiant  dreams  unutterable, 
Wishing  that  naught  but  death  might  break  the  spell; 
Fondly  desiring,  yet  coyish  to  betray, 
The  secret  of  her  soul,  shrined  in  its  heart,  that  gave 

the  maid  away. 

Then,  like  an  incense  from  the  altar,  where 
The  contrite  spirit  pleads  with  fervent  prayer, 
Athrough  the  casements  of  the  lordly  room, 
Insinuatingly  evolved  a  rare  perfume, 
Which,  stifling  all  the  odors  of  the  bloom, 
Filled  each  existence  with  a  rare  delight, 
Provocative  of  earthly  appetite, 


100  LOVE  IN  A   PALACE. 

And  crooned  to  mind  of  that  fair  realm  away 

Beyond  the  blissful  valleys  of  Cathay, 

Where  Alph,  the  sacred  river,  purling,  runs 

O'er  diamond  sands,  beneath  proud  Kubla's  suns, 

Where,  pleading,  bow  Urania's  vestal   nuns, 

And  at  Devotion's  shrine  evoked  the  god  of  fire 

To  grant  each   devotee  their  heart's  desire; 

And  with  th'  exhilarating  fragrance  came, 

Like  Fay  exhaled  from  bog-sprite's  lambent  flame, 

A  wee  lithe  figure,  garbed  in  spotless  white, 

With  flowing  curls  by  amber  witches  spun 

From  the  mild  radiance  of  the  waning  sun, 

Whose  glimmer,  shimmering  through  the  curtain's  lace, 

Bopeeped  with  smiles,  which,  bee-like,  swarmed  his  face, 

And  aureoled  his  brows,  till  dazzled  sight 

Might  deem  him  a  beatified  delight 

By  Mercy's  gracious  will  from  heaven  sent, 

To  be  to  man  a  sweet  encouragement. 

Urged  by  sly  Puck,  who,  since  the  peep  of  day 

Sporting  with  Ariel  and  the  culprit  Fay, 

Had  chased  Illusions  round  the  coral  shores 

Of  Madagascar  and  the  bright  Azores; 

And  who,  from  home  of  wind,  on  highest  cliff 

Of  sun-ray-crowned  and  cloud-girt  Teneriffe, 

Had  flashed  on  wings  of  light  to  England's  coast, 

Ere  dying  day  had  shadowed  to  a  ghost ; 

And  bent  on  mischief,  sped  in  haste  away 

To  that  fair  mansion  innocently  gay, 


LOVE  IN  A    PALACE.  101 

Where,  '.scaping  guardian  Love's  elusive  snare, 
He  sought  the  presence  of  the  loving  pair, 
Toying  a  moment  with  her  wealth  of  hair, 
And  then  found  lodgement  in  the  urchin's  mind, 
Which  filled  he  with  the  whimsies  of  the  wind. 
Silent,  as  flow  of  light  through  the  effulgency, 
O'er  Oriental  velvets  tip-toed  he; 
Now  hidden  by  this  statue,  now  that  chair, 
He  glided  onward,  like  a  shape  of  air, 
Until,  by  screen  of  Arras  tapestry, 
Which  portrayed  Coeur-de-Leon's  chivalry, 
He  stood,  and,  chuckling  with  boycotted  glee, 
Gazed  on  the  lovers  steeped  in  ecstasy. 


Love's  tongue,  delirious,  was  quivering  to  utter 

The  golden  word,  when  mouse-like  squeak  and  flutter 

Disturbed  the  silence,  and  on  lover's  ear 

Fell  with  a  nervous  jar.     Again,  more  clear, 

As  like  a  shaft  of  light  from  Dian's  bow, 

Sped  from  the  screen,  with  eyes  and  cheeks  aglow, 

The  urchin,  shouting  most  hilariously, 

"  Oh,  Auntie  Gertrude  !    Ha,  he,  he ! 

I  saw  him   kiss  you!    Come  now,  come  to  tea; 

Her  Highness,  gloomy  grand  and  silently, 

Impatient  waits.     Oh  my,  you  needn't  blush  ! 

Your  tell-tale  rosy  face  is  all  a-flush ! 

10 


100  LOVE  IX  A    PALACE. 

M;i  telephoned  you  thrice;    she  did,  ay,  thrice! 
And  I  was  sent  to  usher  you   in  twice; 
But  then  I  came  at  my  own  sovereign  will, — 
Oh  my!    how  cross  you  look!    I  can't  be  still! 
Ha,  ha!   how  close  he  hugged  you!    He!    he!    he! 
Don't  linger  longer,  do  come  out  to  tea! 
Aunt  Bess  once  said, — ah,  now  you  smile! — 
Love  is  but  wind, — all    lovers'  words  are  guile, — 
You  needn't  curl  your  lips  at  me  in  scorn; — 
Or  look  like  House  that  Jack  built's  maid  forlorn ; 
For  pa  told  ma,  last  night,  he  only  wished 
That  coming  wedding  might  be  quickly  dished  ; 
Or,  if  it  did  transpire,  he  hoped  the  groom 
Had  more  to  live  on  than  his  helmet's  plume, — 
What  'tis  he  meant,  I'm  sure  I  do  not  know. 
Oh,  dearest  aunt,  your  face  is  like  the  snow; 
And  yours,  my  lord,  .with  savage  flame's  aglow." 

The  encaged  mock-bird,  urged  to  mimicry, 
Disturbed  the  stillness  with  rude  mockery, 
And  saucy  parrot,  stirred  from  revery, 
Shrieked,  "Auntie  Gertrude!    He,  he,  he! 
I  saw  him  kiss  you !     Come  now,  come  to  tea." 
As  from  the  lawn  a  peacock,  haughtily, 
Spread  pridefully  his  tail,  for  all  to  see; 
While  from  the  paddock,  by  the  greenwood  tree, 
An  amorous  donkey  brayed  vociferously. 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE 
DANCE  OF  DEATH. 

Ox  the  swarded  slope  of  a  sylvan  lake 
Which  spread  like  a  mirror,  without  a  break 
Of  ruffling  ripple  or  foamy  flake; 

In  the  sombre  haze  of  a  castled  steep, 

O'er  whose  crags  the  shadows  had  ceased  to  creep, 

And  with  the  coy  breezes  had  gone  to  sleep 

On  campus  where  neighbors,  to  'scape  the  heat, 

Assembled  to  feast,  or  tipple,  and  greet, 

Or  chase  the  fleet  moments  with  twinkling  feet; 

All  shrivelled  and  wrinkled-,  gaunt,  sallow,  and  gray, 
In  tattered  garments  of  fustian  stood  they 
Beside  the  cathedral,  and  carolled  a  lay. 

Whence   came   they,  neighbor?     But    none   of  them 

knew 

Whether  exhaled  from  the  air,  like  the  dew, 
Or  whether  like  pestilent  toadstools  they  grew. 

And  their  grisly  dog,  with  his  eyes  of  crime, 
And  snarling  fangs! — did  he  ooze  from  the  slime? 
Or  glide,  like  a  snake,  from  the  reeking  grime? 

103 


104  THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH 

The  harper's  fingers,  aged,  weary,  and  thin, 
\Vaxcd  motionless;  and  the  garrulous  din 
Died  out  with  the  sigh  of  the  mandolin. 

The  expectant  throng  stood   in  breathless  awe, 
As  out  from  his  bosom  they  saw  him  draw 
A  grinning  skull  with  a  chattering  jaw. 

Then  she,  in  the  face  of  the  dazed  crowd,  shook 
Her  tambourine  with  a  menacing  look, — 
Hooted  from  minster  the  owl,  cawed  the  rook ! 

As  twilight  flooded  his  Nazarene  beard, 

A  dirge  he  chaunted,  sad,  solemn,  and  seared, 

And  up  in  the  gray  air  the  skull  he  reared, 

Where,  unsupported,  it  shook  and  quivered ; 
From  its  eyeless  sockets  a  fierce  light  rivered  ; — 
With  fear  the  astonished  villagers  shivered, 

As  out  of  its  brainless  hollow  it  shook 

Its  skeleton  frame.     Then  the  color  forsook 

Each  crimsoned  cheek,  and  wild  waxed  each  look. 

E'en  the  barefoot  friar,  from  his  revery, 
Arose  from  his  vigil  'neath  headman's  tree, 
And  with  pale  lips  conned  o'er  his  breviary ; 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH.  105 

While  simple  Fritz  turned  his  addled  head, 
Crossed  his  throbbing  breast  with  an  insane  dread, 
And  into  the  gloom  of  the  cloister  fled. 

Then  slow  to  the  "  thrtun  "  of  the  tambourine, 
With  a  ghoulish  grin  and  a  vamp'rish  mien, 
The  live-death  waltzed  round  th'  enchanted  green. 

Like  the  sea-fire  glowed  its  clattering  bones, 

The  gales,  as  they  touched  them,  expired  in  moans, 

And  the  ghost  of  the  eve  sighed  in  monotones. 

The  frail  flowers  withered  beneath  its  tread, 
The  sensitive  grasses  their  greenness  shed, 
And  the  fragrance  of  clover  escaped  and  fled. 

The  evening  star,  with  a  tremulous  shimmer, 

As  it  shone  through  the  haze,  waned  dim  and  dimmer, 

And  the  red  moon  rose  with  portentous  glimmer. 

While  maidens  shrunk  from  its  presence  and  sighed, 

Each  matron  clung  to  her  husband's  side, 

And  the  children  hid  in  their  bosoms  and  cried. 

E'en  the  saintly  seer  of  the  village  shook 
With  an  aguish  dread,  as  he  caught  its  look, 
And  kissed  devoutly  his  relic  and  book. 

10* 


106  THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH. 

In  unison  with  his  tremulous  hand 

The  Enchanter  waved  his  magical  wand, 

When,  like  a  trained  cobra  on  Indian  strand, 

The  Elf-death  swayed  with  the  dreamy  motion 

Of  sullen  wave  of  an  angered  ocean, 

And  began  to  dance  with  a  fierce  emotion. 

Round  and  around  like  an  air-whirl  it  flew, 
Till  th'  encrimsoned  atmosphere  burned  blue, 
And  painted  each  face  with  a  ghastly  hue. 

Then  quick  the  Enchantress,  surged  to  and  fro, 
Made  her  soul  with  a  thrill  through  her  music  flow, 
With  fascination  her  eyes  all  aglow. 

Then  the  white-fanged  dog,  near  his  master's  feet, 
Pawed  the  torrid  earth,  and,  cruel  as  sleet, 
Growled  fierce  as  a  thwarted  tiger  in  heat. 

And  then,  while  he  bristled  his  wiry  hair, 

His  glances  flashed  through  the  lurid  air, 

While  he  sneaked  and  couched,  like  a  lion  in  lair, 

By  the  side  of  the  crone.     Faster,  still  faster, 

The  Elf-death  whirled  round  the  Sphinx-eyed  master, 

Whose  features  glittered  like  alabaster. 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH.  1Q7 

The  affrighted  airs  through  his  bleached  bones  hissed 
Like  angered  asps,  and  the  poisonous  mist 
Rose  from  the  ground  with  a  sinuous  twist 

That  spiralled  each  bone  with  a  frantic  ire, 
Till  it  clomb  to  and  haloed  its  skull  with  fire, 
Which  shone  like  the  wraith  of  a  funeral  pyre. 

Beneath  the  tread  of  its  clattering  feet 

The  lush  turf  shrivelled,  like  sun-scorched  wheat, 

And  the  flint-sands  glowed  with  a  fervent  heat. 

The  wine-guzzling,  mailed  retainers,  three, 

Who  unhelmed  sat  in  the  grapery 

Of  "The  Margrave's  Arms,"  steeped  in  revelry, 

Their  janglings  ceased,  and  in  wild  dismay 
Upset  their  horn  cups,  and  with  lips  ash-gray 
To  the  Mother  of  Jesus  essayed  to  pray. 

And  the  jerkined  lout  who  the  troopers  served, 
Aghast  with  fear,  from  his  balance  swerved, 
Dropped  his  goat-skin  flagon,  and  sunk  unnerved. 

E'en  the  valorous  burgomaster  shook 

Like  a  ghost-scared  child,  and  his  schnapps  forsook, 

As  he  fainted  away  'neath  its  fiendish  look. 


108  THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH. 

Shriller  the  voice  of  the  sorceress  grew, 

Till  it  pierced,  like  sorrow,  each  dazed  brain  through, — 

Swifter  and  swifter  the  live-death  flew. 

Its  white  arms,  like  flails,  the  ambient  air 
Threshed,  till  it  shone  with  a  torturing  glare 
And  electrified  the  Enchanter's  hair, 

Till  it  rose  from  his  scalp  a  sheaf  of  light, 
And  luminous  made  the  shuddering  night, — 
Each  face  grew  green  and  ashen  and  white. 

Then  the  hideous  hag,  with  a  frantic  bound, 

Shot,  like  a  shaft  of  hell,  from  the  ground, 

And  whirled  in  a  flame-mist  the  live-death  round. 

Twirling,  she  shrieked  a  horrible  stave, 

With  blasphemy  charged,  and  full  of  the  grave, 

Like  the  shriek  of  demon  beneath  hell's  wave. 

Then  her  tambourine,  with  a  sudden  flare, 
Evanished  in  smoke,  and  into  thin  air, 
But  its  goblin  music  still  lingered  there. 

Still  lingered  there,  while  plain  to  the  view 

Her  leprous  flesh  turned  a  scarlet  hue, 

And  in  blood-red  sparks  from  her  gaunt  frame  flew, 


THE  ENCHANTERS ;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH.  1Q9 

Till  all  of  her  fleshless  bones,  absolved 

From  the  dross  of  earth,  like  a  star,  dissolved, 

Around  the  Enchanter's  form  revolved. 

Then  Katharina,  the  nine-months'  bride, 
The  beloved  of  all,  each  villager's  pride, 
So  tender-hearted  and  heavenly-eyed, 

From  the  sweet  retreat  of  her  husband's  breast 
Passed  in  a  swoon  to  her  blissful  rest, 
And  the  unborn  soul  of  her  babe  caressed. 

But  bound  by  the  spell  was  the  crowd,  and  dazed, 
That  it  little  heeded  the  shriek,  half  crazed, 
^'"hich  the  anguished  soul  of  the  bridegroom  raised. 

Nor  more  did  it  heed  the  dull  mutterings 
Of  the  storm,  nor  the  bird-wing  flutterings, 
Nor  the  watch-dogs'  querulous  utterings, 

Nor  mark  the  sough  of  the  lake,  wind-stirred, 
Nor  the  ominous  "hoot"  of  Minerva's  bird, 
Which  flashed  through  the  gloom  as  if  fury-spurred, 

Nor  the  bleat  of  sheep,  nor  the  bellow  of  kine, 
Nor  the  snort  of  the  stallion,  'neath  cloven  pine, 
Nor  the  shrill,  sharp  grunt  from  the  herd  of  swine. 


HO  THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH. 

Then  the  snarling  dog-ghoul,  with  hideous  scowl, 
To  the  parched  earth  crouched,  with  a  sullen  growl, 
Which  rose  in  a  scale  to  an  angry  howl, 

Upflew  like  a  fiend  of  insanity, 

All  blotched  with  the  plague-spots  of  leprosy, 

At  the  breast  of  the  flesh-covered  mystery, 

And  tore  therefrom,  with  his  fangs  and  claws, 
The  quivering  heart,  which,  witli  gnash  and  gnaws, 
He  carried  away  in  his  blood-stained  jaws. 

With  a  cry  like  the  wail  of  a  spirit  lost, 
The  heartless  Enchanter  his  wand  uptossed, 
When  it  changed  to  a  wyvern  as  white  as  frost, 

Which  winged  to  a  crimsoned  mist,  which  then 
Arose  from  the  lake,  like  a  death-light  from  fen, 
And  flashed,  with  a  hiss,  through  the  weird  wolf's  glen ; 

While  he,  with  his  phosphorent  flesh  ablaze, 
Sped  meteor-like  through  the  pestilent  haze, 
In  pursuit  of  the  dog  in  his  devious  ways. 

Whirled  fiercely  the  live-death  and  fleshless  witch 
Through  an  air  as  murk  as  the  fumes  of  pitch, 
Round  wizard  and  dog,  which,  like  maddened  bitch, 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH,  m 

Shook  the  bloody  foam  from  his  jaws,  as  his  hair 
Shot  from  his  hide  through  the  luminous  air, 
Like  needles  of  fire  through  furnace's  glare. 

Then  his  rotten  flesh  dissolved  to  a  dew, 

And  that  to  a  upased  vapor,  which  flew 

On  the  wings  of  the  gales,  the  gray  airs  through. 

But  his  basilisk  eyes  and  his  blood-red  tongue 
To  their  chalky  sockets  and  jawbones  clung, 
Like  consumption's  leech  to  a  putrid  lung. 

Amid  the  glamour,  the  villagers  gazed 

With  a  vacant  stare;  and,  with  brains  bedazed, 

Followed  the  three,  aghast  and  amazed. 

Moaned  the  wind-stirred  lake  like  a  world  in  pain ; 
Groaned  the  shuddering  trees,  quaked  the  palsied  plain ; 
Surged  the  rock-ribbed  hills  like  a  storm-tossed  main ; 

Flowed  from  cathedral,  through  window  and  spire, 
The  groaning  of  organ,  the  wail  of  the  lyre, 
And  "  Dies  Irse  "  of  sorrowing  choir ; 

While,  from  pillared  aisles  and  from  many  a  cell, 
Cowled  monks  emerged,  and  with  torch,  and  with  bell, 
Sought  the  green  by  the  castled  citadel. 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH. 

Dolorously  tolled  from  belfry  a  knell 

From  whose  waves  of  sound  winged  heralds  of  hell, 

Shook  from  their  fire-plumed  pinions  a  spell 

Which  fell  on  the  monks,  as  a  withering  blight 
Falls  on  the  bloom  of  the  fields  by  night ; 
Quaked  they  with  dolor  and  blanched  they  with  fright 

As  the  great  fierce  eyes,  all  purple  and  bleared, 
Into  their  souls  through  their  dazed  eyes  peered, 
While,  fading  in  night,  they  mocked  and  jeered, 

And  shrieked,  as  from  ivy-walled  Abbey  there  came, 
Like  visions  of  light  through  the  blue  of  the  flame, 
The  white-robed  nuns,  who,  with  loud  exclaim, 

Besought  the  Virgin  to  soften  the  ire 
Of  the  Holy  One  in  His  wrath  of  fire, 
And  accord  His  will  to  their  weak  desire. 

The  flitting  frames  of  the  dancing  three 
Ceased  their  gyrations,  and  amorously 
Clasped  their  glowing  hands,  while  deliriously 

They  danced  the  witching  Walpurgis  of  Death, 
Throbbed  the  great  heart  of  Nature ;  winds  held  their 

breath, 
And  afar  the  "Wild  Huntsman"  swept  over  the  heath. 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH.  H3 

But  faster,  still  faster  and  faster  they  flew, 

Till  their  weird  forms  were  blent;  and,  like  cyclone, 

they  drew 
In  the  whirl,  one  by  one,  of  the  crowd.    And  then  grew 

More  frantic  the  dance, — monk,  nun,  burger,  and  crone, 
Maid,  soldier,  and  child,  with  a  desolate  groan, 
Flashed  fast  through  the  gloom  to  the  music  of  moan. 

Then  the  gorgoned  dog,  charged  with  maniac  ire, 
Sprung  at  the  throat  of  child,  matron,  and  sire, 
And  bore  them  to  earth,  which,  with  sulphurous  fire, 

Shuddered  and  heaved  with  an  earthquake  spasm, 
Which  fissured  the  hills  with  a  horrible  chasm, 
And  convulsed  the  lake  to  a  wild  phantasm. 

The  brazen  skies  flashed  to  an  intense  glare, 

Which  paralyzed  all  the  enchanted  air, 

Till,  awakened  to  life  by  a  simoon's  fierce  blare, 

It  charged  with  malignance  the  atmosphere, 
Which  stupefied  all  with  sepulchral  fear, 
That  froze  at  their  fountains  each  woful  tear. 

Then  out  of  the  storm-dazzled  hazes  came, 
On  fiery  charger,  as  scarlet  as  shame, 
The  Angel  of  Death,  with  his  sword  of  flame; 

11 


114  THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH 

And  then  as  the  dog,  in  his  furious  wrath, 
Covered  with  victims  his  desolate  path, 
Smote  them  as  David,  the  giant  of  Gath. 

Through  the  lurid  vapors,  their  wraiths,  all  askew, 
Fled  shrieking  and  praying.     Then  out  of  the  yew, 
Midst  blackness  of  darkness,  a  firebolt  flew, 

Like  a  blighting  curse,  to  the  banquet  hall 
Of  the  lordly  castle,  whose  turrets  so  tall 
O'ershadowed  the  bounds  of  the  village  wall, 

And  then  as  the  princely  Margrave  arose 
From  his  daised  throne,  and  made  loud  propose 
To  vassal  and  guest,  who,  in  tabled  rows, 

Steeped  in  wassail,  sat  in  the  flambeau's  glare, 

With  courtly  graces,  and  maudlin  stare, 

To  drink  joy  and  health  to  the  new-born  heir. 

Blared  trumpet,  clashed  cymbals,  and  minstrelsy, 
Shook  the  antique  rafters  with  roisterous  glee, 
And  the  fool's  bells  jangled  with  revelry. 

Chimed  silver  tankard  and  goblet  of  gold 
Euphoniously;  but,  ere  palates  could  mould 
The  wine  to  their  taste,  the  thunder-shell  rolled 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH.  H5 

Above  them  and  burst.     With  the  new-born's  name 
On  their  shrivelled  lips,  'neath  the  lambent  flame, 
Sunk  blasted  and  withered  each  stalwart  frame. 

Leaped,  like  vaulting  demons  from  Fury's  glance, 
The  subtile  fluid  from  sword's  point  and  lance, 
While  on  harness  of  battle  it  sparkled  in  dance, 

And  wreathed  with  red  horrors  the  trophies  of  war; 
Rare  tapestries,  arts;    then  out  of  each  door 
And  embrasure  it  surged  with  a  terrified  roar. 

By  spirit  hands  swayed,  the  alarum  bell 

Of  the  castle  uttered  a  dolorous  knell, 

And  the  wind-torn  banner  and  pennons  fell, 

As  copestoue  of  tower  went  crashing  through 
To  the  vaulted  hall,  where,  with  chosen  few, 
The  mother  and  babe,  on  mattress  of  rue, 

Reclined.     God  of  mercy,  avert!    Do  not  slay! 
Pity  ! — Crushed,  bleeding  and  mangled  they  lay, — 
No  absolution  !     Nor  time  there  to  pray. 

As  a  tempest-tossed  bark,  bereft  of  rudder, 
Struck  by  fierce  blast,  careers  with  wild  shudder, 
So  the  bolt-struck  earth  quaked,  like  bee-stung  udder. 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH. 

Then,  from  chancel,  crypt,  and  sarcophagus, 
From  church-yard  and  death-field  miraculous, 
With  groanings  and  chatterings  clamorous, 

The  dusky  shades  of  departed  men 
Emerged,  like  illusions  from  haunted  glen, 
And  flashed  into  dance  on  the  'wildered  ken. 

With  loathful  antics  and  grotesque  bound, 
They  waltzed  the  flaming  Death-Angel  around, 
While  their  murmurings  startled  the  dim  profound. 

Quickened  to  life,  those  by  Death's  cur  laid  low 
All  fleshless  uprose;  and,  with  frames  all  aglow, 
They  joined  in  the  dance  to  the  music  of  woe. 

The  angered  skies  glowed  with  the  intense  glare 
Of  a  meteor-star.     And  the  powers  of  air 
Deliriously  shrieked,  as  with  flaming  hair 

They  fiend-like  flashed,  with  an  imped  grimace, 
And  illumed  an  instant  the  dimness  of  space, 
Then  fell  they  to  nothing,  as  angels  from  grace. 

Then   the   blazing   clouds  whirled   down   with    fierce 

roar 

To  the  seething  lake,  raised  its  waves,  and  bore 
Them  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  quaking  shore, 


THE  ENCHANTERS;  OR,  THE  DANCE  OF  DEATH.  H7 

And  burst  o'er  the  village ;  wall,  mansion,  and  tower, 
Cathedral,  and  mart,  succumbed  to  its  power, — 
Until  nothing  remained  of  stone,  tree,  or  flower. 

E'en  the  blasted  walls  of  the  castle  fell 

With  a  crash  that  startled  the  Csesar  of  hell, — 

Floated  the  dancers  through  valley  and  dell. 


Peeped  red,  through  the  rifts  of  the  storm,  a  star, 
While  echoed  from  heavenly  gates  ajar 
A  trumpet's  blast.     Flashed  a  radiant  bar 

Across  the  skies.     Then  the  wild  dance  of  death 
Ceased,  and  the  dream-gendered  shadows  of  breath 
Died  out, — so  the  black-letter  legend  saith. 


11* 


EPISODES  IN  THE  LIFE 

OF 

ALLIEGUNDABAGO, 

GREAT  CJSAR  AND  ATOTARHO 

OF   THE 

ALGONQUIN    ARASAPHAS. 

A  nation  of  copper-skinned  humans,  who,  in  prehistoric 
years,  held  undisputed  sway  over  all  the  lands  stretching  from 
the  river  Hochelaga  (St.  Lawrence)  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the 
same  having  the  seat  of  their  empire  planted  above  the 
present  site  of  Philadelphia,  their  grand  council  lodge  cov- 
ering the  spot  (then  an  eminence)  now  occupied  by  the 
new  city  buildings,  at  the  intersection  of  Market  and  Broad 
Streets. 

ALLIEGUNDABAGO  : 
EPISODE   No.  1.     THE    MASTODON. 
EPISODE   No.  2.     OFF   CAPE   COD. 
EPISODE   No.  3.     A   DREAM    HE   DREAMED. 


119 


ALLIEGUNDABAGO. 

MAJESTIC  was  his  form.     His  height 
Exceeded  Europe's  men  of  might ; 
And  in  his  elbows,  neck,  and  knees, 
Reposed  the  strength  of  Hercules. 
His  hair,  as  dark  as  starless  night, 
Was  gloss  as  peacock  anthracite, 
And  flowed,  in  gleaming  falls  of  jet, 
Down  to  his  breech-clout's  belteret. 
On  either  side,  from  high   cheek-bone, 

His  massive  forehead  swelled  and  rose, 

Above  a  wide,  heroic  nose, 
Which  breathed  on  thin  lips  cold  as  stone. 
A  through  his  voice  a  torrent  flowed 
Of  words  which  eloquently  glowed  ; 
While  from  his  eyes,  like  radiant  gems, 

Where  passion's  fiery  lightnings  slept, 

The  living  brightness  flashed  and  leapt, 
And  played  like  glint  of  diadems. 
Each  cheek  disclosed,  in  vermeil  red, 
A  tattooed  snapping-turtle's  head, — 

The  totem  of  his  race, 

And  symbol  of    his  place; — 

121 


122  ALL1EOUNDABAOO. 

And  on  his  brawny  breast,  blue  seared, 
A  rampant  rattlesnake  upreared 

In  striking  attitude. 
Around  his  burly  neck  was  geared 

A  snake-skin  necklace  rude, 
Worked  o'er  with  fangs  from  serpents'  jaws 
And  eagle  scalps  and  grizzlies'  claws 

And  scolloped  figures,  crude. 
His  pow'rful  arras  were  armleted 
With  dragon  scales,  worked  on  in  red, 

And  tawny  belzerene. 
His  pliant  wrists  were  braided  round 
With  wampum  bracelets  set  and  wound 

With  pearls  of  ocean's  sheen. 
Drooped  from  his  waist  a  philibeg 
Of  deerskin  wrought  by  Winnipeg, 

Of  bloody  Arkansaw. 
His  sinewy  legs  were  buff  'lo-thonged  ; 
His  supple  ankles  clasped  and  tonged 

With  hooks  from  vultures'  claw. 
His  noble  feet  were  moccasined 
With   leather  lightning-tanned  and  skinned 

From  pterodactyl's  back. 
When  on  the  war-path's  sinuous  trail 
He  swept  along  like  angered  gale, 

His  limbs  were  smutched  with  black. 


ALLIEOUNDABAOO.  123 

And  from  his  scalp-lock's  crimsoned  crest 
A  Phoenix'  plume,  in  wild  unrest, 

Dallied  on  breeze's  wing. 
Of   polished  hickory  was  his  spear, 
Tipped  with  antler  bone  of  deer, 

Scraped  keen  as  hornet's  sting. 
An  iron-wood  club,  with  knotted  head, 
Spiked  with  an  elk-horn,  sanguine  red, 

His  stalwart  shoulders  decked. 
Hung  from  his  body-belt  of  hide 
Obsidian  knife,  and  axe  beside, 

With  scarlet  feathers  flecked. 
His  matchless  bow,  of  bone  and  ash, 

Swung  at  his  back  with  birch-bark  quiver, 
Held  by  a  crystal -beaded  sash, 

Which  gleamed  in  sun  like  beam-kissed  river. 
His  pipe,  of  redstone  carved,  was  worn 
With  his  tobacco-box  of  horn, 
A  near  his  pouch  of  sugared  corn. 


His  skill  was  wonderful  with  hatchet ; 
None  ever  born  of  flesh  could  match  it; 
And  with  the  knife  and  war-club,  he 
His  equal  never  lived  to  see. 
The  war-path's  devious  ways  he  trod, 
Like  an  avenging  heathen  god. 


1  -24  ALLIEO  UNDABAGO. 

The  conflict  was  his  chief  delight; 
He  revelled  in  the  air  of  fight ; 

And,  like  the  steed  of  battle, 
He  snuffed  the  foeman  from  afar, 
And  onward  dashed,  like  Jove-hurled  star, 

'Mid  noise  of  gong  and  rattle. 
When  ambuscade  his  lines  unrolled, 
His  deeds  were  awful  to  behold ; 
And  when  surprise  or  grim  me'lee 
Coaxed  his  plumed  braves  from  rock  or  tree, 
Hell  clapped  its  hands  and  screamed  with  glee. 
Amid  the  storm  of  blows  he  stood, 
Like  giant  oak  'mid  sapling  wood, 
Defying  thunderbolt  and  wind, 
And  all  the  rage  of  human  kind. 
His  followers,  like  tidal  flood, 
Surged  o'er  the  land,  knee-deep  in  blood, 
And  worked  his  sanguinary  will, 
From  Mexico  to  Quebec's  hill. 
Where'er  he  raided,  sovereign  wrath 
Whirled,  like  a  cyclone,  on  its  path  ; 
And  grim  destruction,  wrack,  and  death, 
Lived  in  the  tempest  of  his  breath. 

But  in  his  grisly  presence,  there 

Rang  horrid  whoop;   rose  frightened   hair; 

Shone  scarlet  scalps;  gleamed  bosoms  bare; 


ALL1KGUNDABAGO.  125 

Gushed  blood;  oozed  brains;  flew  shrieking 

ghosts ; 

Hacked  limbs;  and  flames  of  torture-posts; 
Fell  mournful  showers  of  maidens'  tears, 
Shed  for  their  grandames  'paled  on  spears ; 
There  raged  the  battle's  din,  and  hum 
Of  the  weird  powwow's  tum-e-tum ; 
The  blaze  of  wigwam,  and  the  glare 
Of  burning  forests ;  maize-fields  bare 
Of  pumpkins,  squashes,  beans,  and  corn, — 
Naught  there  but  orphans,  all  forlorn, 
And  spirits  of  the  blasted  heath, 
Xunx  everything  but  skull  and  teeth ; 
Triumphant  chaunt  of  victory  ; 
The  craven's  shriek  of  agony; 
The  laugh  and  dance  of  revelry ; 
The  squawk  of  squaws;  dog's  yelp,  and  whine; 
The  taunt  of  death-song;   grunt  of  swine, 
And  all  else  in  the  category 
Of  roaring,  first-class,  Indian  story. 


12 


EPISODE  No.  1. 
THE   MASTODON: 

The  skeleton  of  which  was  found  in  a  marsh  near  Newburgh, 
N.  Y.,  and  set  up  by  Dr.  Warren,  of  Boston.  It  now  stands  in 
the  British  Museum,  and  is  the  wonder  of  all  who  behold  it. 

WITH  Shackamaxon  of  the  Oaks, 
Hunting  for  "spuds"  and  artichokes, 
While  cracking  heels  and  nuts  and  jokes, 

By  falls  of  Manayunk  ; 
They  paused  a  moment,  in  their  glee, 
'Neath  Conshohocken's  cotincil-tree 

To  sing  "  Coc-ca-che-lunk," 
When  on  their  startled  hearing  fell, 
Like  whizz  of  ball  or  burst  of  shell 

On  sleeping  camp  at  night, 
A  dolorous  roar,  surcharged  with  hell, 
Which,  like  an  icy  terror,  fell 

And  chilled  their  souls  with  fright; 
And  when,  in  fulness  of  dismay, 
They  sought  their  feet  to  run  away, 

They  scarce  could  stand  upright; 
And,  ere  they'd  time  to  launch  a  pun 
Or  'jaculate  Jack  Robinson, 

126 


ALLIEGUNDABAQO.  127 

Through  morning's  dewy  light, 

Flashed  on  their  'wildered  sight 
An  earthquake-breeding  mastodon, 
With  eyes  as  fierce  as  noonday's  sun, 

And  trunk  of  ghostly  white, 
Which  swift  as  ball  from  cannon  sent, 
For  hapless  Shackamaxon  went, 

And  'paled  him  on  its  tusk; 
Then  flung  him  high  and  high  and  higher, 
With  nostrils  snorting  mists  of  fire, 

Odorous  as  fetid  musk ; 
And  when  the  body  reached  the  blue, 
Like  sunbeamed.  haze  escaped  from  view, 

It  never  more  was  seen; 
But  ere  the  brute  its  eye-balls  rolled, 
Great  Alliegundabago,  bold, 

Achieved  the  trampled  green ; 
And,  coming  to  himself,  with  heed 
His  unstrung  bow  with  cautious  speed 

He  strung  as  quick  as  wink ; 
Then,  taking  to  a  neighboring  oak, 
Which  offered  shelter  from  the  poke 

Of  the  fierce  creature's  tusk, 
He  fitted  arrow  to  the  gut, 
And  aimed  it  at  the  shifting  butt, 

With  ne'er  in  eye  a  blink; 


128 


ALLIEO  UNDA  BA  O  O. 

And  while  the  quarry  made  its  mark, 
Tore  from  the  trees  the  waveless  bark, 

Like  squaw  from  corn  the  husk, 
And  filled  the  palpitating  air 
With  fury,  branches,  leaves,  and  scare, 

Let  the  keen  arrow  fly; 
Clear  through  the  shivering  form  it  sped, 
Like  bolt  by  angered  storm-cloud  shed, 

Out  flew  it  through  an  eye, 
And  in  the  heart  of  distant  tree, 
Which  swayed  and  creaked  with  agony, 

Its  quivering  force  was  spent. 
Down  dropt  the  head  and  drooped  the  tail, 
Like  bellied  sheet  bereft  of  gale, 

On  shivering  knees  all  sunk; 
And  as  the  beast  breathed  foam  and  gore 
In  mist  and  steam  behind,  before, 

With  insane  fury  drunk, 
Swelled  from  its  breast  a  bellowing  roar, 
Like  swell  from  waves  on  bouldered  shore, 

Which  surged  the  flowing  breeze; 
The  sweet-tooth  bear  and  timid  deer 
Stopped  in  their  tracks  o'ercome  with  fear, — 

Shuddered  th'  affrighted  trees. 
Great  birds,  on  wing  clear  out  of  sight, 
Swooned  in  the  ruffled  air  from  fright 

And  fluttered  to  the  ground. 


ALLIEGUNDABAGO.  129 

Hill,  stream,  and  valley  groaned  aloud, 
And  threw  their  echoes  to  the  cloud 

Which  filled  the  blue  profound; 
And,  like  a  great  collapsed  balloon, 
The  wilted  cloud  in  dreamy  swoon 

Of  mist  and  rain  came  down. 
Alliegunda,  from  his  tree 
Sprung  forward  cool,  collectedly, 

And  grasped  his  eager  spear 

From  the  great  rock  anear; 
And  as  the  frantic  creature  rose, 
He  put  his  body  in  a  pose, 

And  thrust  into  its  ear 
Th'  elastic  weapon,  from  his  weight, 
Sprung,  like  a  catapult,  and  straight 

Into  the  vaulted  blue, 
He  vaulted,  like  an  acrobat, 
From  off  a  spring-board's  swaying  flat, 

Whooping  his  war  "  bo-hoo !" 
"Oh,  for  a  lodge  in  wilderness!" 
Oozed  from  the  lips  of  his  distress. 

The  bear-god  heard  his  cry, 
And  lodged  him  in  a  buttonwood, 
Which,  like  a  sylvan  giant,  stood 

Conveniently  nigh. 

And  there  by  nape  of  neck  he  hung, 
The  gnarled  and  naked  limbs  among, 
12* 


130  ALLIEOUNDABAGO. 

An  agitated  Jack, 

Until  the  limbs  unloosed  their  hold 
And  let  him  fall,  all  fear  and  cold, 

Astride  the  monster's  back. 
In  panic  haste  the  monster  flew 
Like  Satan  from  St.  Dunstan's  view, 

A  whirlwind  on  its  course. 
While  he,  like  waif  upon  the  main, 

As  through  the  country  it  went  bounding, 
Glued  to  its  hair,  as  Fear  to  rein, 

Awhile  its  bellowing  roar  was  sounding, 

Like  neigh  of  Death's  pale  horse. 
Goaded  by  spur  of  fear  and  pain, 
It  sped  across  the  open  plain, 

And  midst  the  laughing  trees; 
O'er  swollen  creeks  and  rivers  wide, 
It  strode  with  bold  majestic  stride, 

Which  stirred  to  gale  the  breeze. 
Hills  ticklybendered  'neath  its  tread, 
Which  shook  from  earth  the  bones  of  dead 

Companions  of  the  mole. 
The  basking  snakes  squirmed  to  their  dens 
Among  the  brambled  rocks  and  fens; 

The  scared  fox  sought  his  hole, 
And  each  wild  creature,  with  raised  head, 
Stood  petrified  with  awful  dread, 

And  filled  the  air  with  dole. 


ALLJEQUNDABAGO. 

Fierce  hunters  after  flesh  and  bone, 
The  sneaking  wolf  and  lynx  alone 

Led  by  the  scent  of  blood, 
A  yelping,  snarling,  howling  pack, 
Pressed  by  the  thousands  on  its  track 

A   living,  moving  flood. 
And  Alliegundabago  shook 
With  ague  when  he  cast  his  look 
Down  in  the  maize-field  vale  below 
And  saw  the  wigwams  of   his  foe, — 

The  Mohawks  of  the  vale, — 
And  when  he  heard  their  whoops  and  cries, 
Which  split  the  air  and  rent  the  skies, 

A  moment  he  turned  pale, 
But  ere  'twas  given  him  to  think, 
Within  the  twinkle  of  a  wink, 

With  bloody  snort  and  whack, 
The  monster  dashed  'mid  the  wigwams, 
And  slashed  and  smashed  them  with  its  flams, 

Followed  by  howling  pack. 
Distraction  seized  the  Mohawk  crew, 
On  terror's  outstretched  wings  they  flew, 

To  hide  'mong  rocks  and  hills; 
Warriors  and  chief  and  medicine, 
Papoose,  squaw,  maid,  with  screeching  din 

And  pallid  cheeks  and  gills; 
Away  they  sped  in  haste,  pell-mell, 


1 32  A  L£IEO  UN  DA  BAGO. 

To  'scape  the  monster,  'scaped  from  hell,- 

For  that  was  what  they  thought,— 
One  chief  alone,  of  all  the  rest, 
Stood  forth  with  brave,  undaunted  breast, 

And  set  its  rage  at  naught. 
Like  sturdy  oak  he  stood  in  path, 
His  flashing  eyes  and  brows  of  wrath 

Fierce  to  intensity. 
Pis  stalwart  form  in  awful  pose 
Above  the  wreck  of  ruin  rose 

In  swelling  majesty. 
As  perfect  as  a  stalk  of  wheat, 
From  skin  of  scalp  to  sole  of  feet 

He  measured  twelve  feet  three 

(The  Cardiff  giant  sure  was  he). 
Khalankhadula  was  his  name, 
Among  his  tribe,  the  first  in  fame, 

Born  at  Scheuectady. 
And  there  he  stood  with  angry  spear 

Poised  o'er  his  feathered  head, 
Prepared  to  stop  the  wild  career 

Of  the  terrific  dread. 
The  monster  eyed  him,  and  with  bound, 

Quick  as  the  wink  of  Sphinx, 
Was  on  him.     Ere  he  turned  around 
,  His  jellied  body  on  the  ground 

Was  food  for  wolf  and  lynx. 


ALLIEGUNDABAQO.  133 

On,  on  the  monster  flew  and  came 

Where  Newburg,  on  the  Hudson,  stands; 
And  there  its  wearied  limbs  waxed  lame, 

And  Alliegundabago's  hands. 
.V while,  like  a  stupendous  frog, 
It  mired  in  a  moving  bog, — 

Terrific  were  its  squeals ! 
The  chieftain,  sliding  Trom  its  back, 
Climbed  a  great  tree,  to  'scape  the  pack 

Which  followed  at  his  heels. 
And  there  he  sat  while  frantic  beast, 
Predestined  for  a  Wolf-lynx  feast, 

Below  him  roared  and  raved, 
And  slashed  with  angered  trunk  and  tail 
The  oozing  bog,  awhile  the  gale 

Its  hungry  nostrils  craved, 
Vibrated  dolor,  grunt,  and  moan, 
Expiring  sighs,  and  dying  groan. 
And  while  the  wolves,  convulsively, 
Stripped  flesh  from  bone  with  fiendish  glee, 
And  lapped  his  gore  deliriously, 
As  sinks  in  cloud  the  orb  of  day, 
So  sunk  in  ooze  its  form  away; 
And  ere  light  faded  into  night, 
With  gurgling  sound  it  passed  from  sight, — 

The  last  one  of  its  race. 
And  there  it  was  that  years  apast 


ALLIEQUNDABAOO. 


Its  frame  was  found  in  place, 
Which,  mounted  well,  and  wired  fast, 
Gives  Dr.  Warren  deathless  fame, 
And  adds  to  Boston's  mighty  name. 


EPISODE   No.   2. 

OFF    CAPE    COD. 

ONCE  on  a  time,  when  off  Cape  Cod, 

The  chief  in  his  dugout  canoe, 
Fishing  for  shark  with  line  and  rod, — 
If  'twasn't  so  may  heathen  god 

Stripe  Truth  till  black  and  blue! — 
While  seesawing,  like  gull  at  rest, 
Upon  old  ocean's  throbbing  breast, 

Unruffled  and  serene, 
Like  thunderbolt  from  cloudless  skies, 
Charging  his  mind  with  wild  surprise, 

Broke  raging  on  the  scene 
A  monster  sword-fish,  frenzy-eyed, 
And  horrid  Octopus,  beside, 

Engaged  in  hellish  strife. 
Around  the  excited  waters  boiled, 
The  seething  foam  with  blood  grew  soiled, 

The  struggle  was  for  life, — 

The  breezes  died  from  fright ; 
While  from  each  coral  cleft  and  cave 
Rose  through  the  bright  crest  of  each  wave — 

Spectators  of  the  fight — 

185 


ALLIEQ  UNDA  BA  O  O. 

Mermen  and  maids  with  faces  dun, 

Green  goggles  o'er  their  eyes 

Of  largest  saucer  size, 
Which  flashed  like  mirrors  in  the  sun 

And  dazzled  in  its  light; 
The  chief  upon  the  conflict  gazed 
Like  one  by  fascination  dazed, 

Awe-struck  and  fear-transfixed — 

His  faculties  all  mixed — 
Unable  *to  escape ;  for,  why  ? 
His  scull  had  'scaped  his  hand  and  eye 

And  floated  out  of  reach, 

T'ward  the  pebbled  beach ; 
Now  on  the  surface,  then  in  deep, 
In  narrowing  circles  did  they  sweep 

The  crazy  craft  around ; 
An  hundred  feet  in  air  they  sprung 
Then  dropped  the  shiv'riug  waves  among 

And  dived  to  depths  profound, 

Where,  with  an  insane  bound, 
They  closed  in  conflict.     Fierce  they  raged, 
Sword,  tail,  and  flipper,  all  engaged 

To  conquer  or  to  die ; 
And  when  again  they  reappeared 
Through  crimson  waters,  blubber-smeared, 

'Twas  close  by  his  canoe; 
And  for  a  moment  there  they  lay, 


ALLIEOUNDABAGO.  137 

Two  monsters  of  the  deep,  at  bay, 

Eying  each  other  through, 
Like  Monitor  and  Merrimac, 
Before  they  made  that  fierce  attack 

Which  satisfied  each  crew ; 

• 
Spread  out  like  Sinbad's  isle  the  one, 

The  other  like  a  great  Krupp  gun 

Nosed  with  gigantic  sword. 
Hate,  like  the  flash  from  angry  skies, 
Shot  from  the  storm-clouds  of  their  eyes, 

And  their  wild  passions  gored. 
Again  they  circled,  when,  from  curl, 
The  waters  hastened  to  a  whirl 

Which,  like  Norse  maelstrom,  drew 
Into  its  vortex  boat  and  chief, 
While  loud  he  sang  his  song  of  grief, — 

"Oh,  fleeting  world,  adieu!" 
With  sudden  dive  the  monsters  threw 
Their  dripping  tails  into  the  blue, 

And  disappeared  like  flash, 
The  agile  sword-fish  in  the  lead, 
The  devil  following  him  with  speed 

Of  meteor  on  a  dash. 
Down  slid  the  chieftain  in  their  wake, 
Followed  the  great  Sea  Serpent  snake 
Which,  like  a  log,  had  lain  asleep 
Upon  the  bosom  of  the  deep, 
13 


ALLIEOUNDABAGO. 

Waves  pillowing  its  head, 
Until  the  echoes  of  the  splash 
O'erwhelmed  it  like  a  thunder-crash 

And  oped  its  eyes  of  lead  ; 
Then  piloted  by  trail  of  blood 
Which  crimsoned  the  devouring  flood, 

It  glided  to  the  spot 

Where  raged  the  battle  hot; 
And  when  it  saw  in  the  abyss 

Dugout  and  sachem  spinning  'round, 
And  heard  the  surges'  seething  hiss 

Pregnate  each  air-wave  with  fierce  sound, 
A  sudden  fury  stirred  its  strength 
And  shivered  through  its  mighty  length, 

Bristling  each  brazen  scale. 
Aloft  it  reared  its  horrid  crest, 
Curved  loftily  its  vengeful  breast, 

Glittering  like  burnished  mail, 
Then  after,  with  a  speed  as  swift 
As  lightning  from  the  tempests  rift, 

It  flashed  its  rage  to  wreak. 
While  he,  as  calm  as  deviled  saint, 
Wiped  with  lace  handkerchief  the  paint 

And  brine  from  his  ringed  beak ; 
Then,  as  the  horror  slid  apast 
Like  a  weird  phantom,  grim  and  ghast, 


ALLIEGUNDABAGO.  139 

Sent  by  the  evil-eyed, 

He  sped,  like  shaft,  aside; 
And,  quick  as  thought,  with  spurt  and  gasp, 
Seized  its  slimed  tail  with  grim-death's  grasp 

Of  desperate  desire, 
And  held  till  he  was  drawn  away 
From  the  intensity  of  day 
Far  down  into  the  dim  obscure, 
Where  in  their  dismal  caves,  secure, 

Coiled  in  their  nested  ire, 
Kepose  the  monsters  of  the  deep, — 
Leviathans  whose  slimy  creep 

Disturbs  the  ocean's  rest, 

And  agitate  its  crest. 
The  water-dragons  and  the  snakes, 
Whose  sinuous  forms  cleave  burning  lakes, 

Where  hid  volcanoes  swell ; 
The  dreadful  salamander  which 
Feeds  on  the  yellow  flames  of  pitch, 

And  guards  the  gates  of  hell. 
The  shark — dread  terror  of  the  wave — 

That  gnaws  the  flesh  from  dead  men's  bones ; 
The  vampire  of  the  anguish  cave, 

Where  the  damned  spirit  wails  and  moans ; 
All  these  he  saw  and  dreadful  forms 
Begotten  of  the  Fiend  of  Storms, — 


140  ALLIEGUNDABAQO. 

Misshapen,  vast,  incarnate  things, 

Which  none  but  drowning  men  behold, — 
With  gorgon  eyes,  and  fiery  stings, 

Who  guard  the  merchant's  sunken  gold, 
And  fierce  on  him  they  fixed  their  eyes, 
Crazed  with  the  terror  of  surprise. 
And  as  he  gazed  his  senses  fled, 

Through  his  laxed  grasp  the  serpent's  tail 
Slid  like  a  streak.     From  out  the  dread, 

Like  an  embodied  howling  gale, 
Toward  him  rushed  with  horrid  spasm 

Of  grinning  mouth  and  frantic  motion, 
That  hideous  monster  of  the  chasm, — 

The  octopus  of  deepest  ocean. 
But  ere  its  vampirish  arms  could  coil 

About  his  languid  frame, 
And  vise  it  in  its  cruel  toil, 

Like  a  fierce  myth  of  flame, 
Flashed  the  great  prehistoric  whale, 

From  dozing  on  the  lee, 
And  with  an  angered  stroke  of  tail 

Despatched  it  instantly, 

And  paralyzed  the  sea. 
Then  from  the  insatiate  maw  of  death, 

And  its  grim  treachery, 
It  snatched  the  sachem,  scant  of  breath, 

And,  through  the  breakers  sullen  roar, 


ALLIEGUNDASAOO. 

His  limp,  faint  body  safely  bore, 
And  on  Long  Island's  sea-girt  shore 
Unloaded  him,  at  Montauk  Point, 
His  nose  and  great  toe  out  of  joint. 
And  there  with  song  and  much  ado, 
The  last  Mohican  brought  him  to. 


13* 


EPISODE   No.  3. 

A    DREAM    HE    DREAMED. 

RETURNING  once  from  hunting  coon 
And  'possum  on  the  Callicoon, 

Along  with  blithe  Colcrocket, 
Their  brains  as  full  of  sentiment 
As  ladies'  'kerchiefs  full  of  scent, 

Or  as  a  school-boy's  pocket. 
A  sleep  stole  o'er  them  as  they  preyed 
On  oyster-bed  in  Belmont  glade, — 

Off  flew  his  mind  like  rocket ! 
And,  as  he  dozed,  appeared  to  him,  , 
Perched  in  the  crotch  of  shell-bark  limb, 

A  coon  of  glaring  size. 
A  pipe  of  peace  or  piece  of  pipe, 
Streaked  'round  with  thin  vermilion  stripe, 

Adorned  his  corn-juiced  jaws 

And  smoked  his  laughing  eyes. 
Embroidered  moc'sins  shod  his  feet, 
A  furry  mantle  clothed  his  meat. 

He  paused  to  lick  his  paws 

And  tail  alive  with  play. 
142 


ALL1EOUNDABAOO.  143 

And  there  he  sat  in  light  of  moon, 
That  independent  same  old  coon, 

Whiling  the  time  away. 
His  smoke- veiled  countenance  the  while 
O'ercast  with  frown  or  lit  with  smile, 

Until,  like  flash  of  day, 
It  vanished  in  the  murky  air, 
Pursued  by  Nox's  phantom  mare, 

Which  drew  the  sachem's  mind  away 
Into  a  dismal,  howling  waste 
Of  shrieking  ghosts  by  horrors  chased 

Throughout  the  eternal  day. 
And  one  of  them,  a  monster  fright, 

With  dragon-body  brazen-scaled, 
Great,  icy,  bat-like  wings  of  night, 

And  sea-horse  rear  all  devil-tailed, 

Sped  fiercely  to  his  side; 
Its  bas'lisk  eyes  full  of  the  fire 
Of  hate  and  desperate  desire, 

Its  red  eyes  open  wide 
As  are  the  brassy  gates  of  hell 
When  through  their  portals  surge  and  swell 

Th'  inebriate  human  tide. 
Upon  his  cheeks  he  felt  its  breath, 
Foul  as  the  airs  from  caves  of  death. 

He  strove  in  vain  to  hide 

Within  the  airy  tide, 


144  ALLIEGUNDABAQO. 

But  on  his  front  the  monster  placed 

Its  leaden  paws  beset  with  claws, 
And  wound  its  tail  around  his  waist. 

The  while  it  snapped  its  fang-filled  jaws, 
And  shot  into  his  breast  of  sighs 
The  dreadful  glitter  of  its  eyes. 
Moaning,  he  chilled,  and  shrieked  aloud, 

As  the  fierce  monster  shook  and  spread 

Its  fiery  wings  above  its  head, 
And  bore  him  in  a  flaming  cloud 

To  boundary  of  space, 

From  whence,  with  frantic  squeak  and  squall, 
It  loosed  its  hold  and  let  him  fall, — 

Down,  down,  he  fell,  like  shot, 

So  swift  he  waved  red  hot. 
The  pygmies  bridled  up  their  geese, 

And  followed  him  with  speed. 
The  air-fiends  strode  each  passing  breeze, 

Each  Fury  gained  its  meteor-steed, 

And  sought  his  glitt'ring  track. 
Vain  the  pursuit,  for  as  he  drew 
Anear  the  earth  Jove's  eagle  flew 

And  beaked  his  breech-clouts  slack, 
And  buoyed  him  safely  to  a  spot 
Beside  a  wild,  sequestered  grot, 

In  an  enchanted  glade, 


ALLIEGUNDABAOO.  145 

Where, 

Encircled  by  a  haloed  air, 
A  black-eyed,  love-lorn  maiden  sat, 
Upon  a  green  Scotch-thistle  mat, 

All  Evishly  arrayed, 
Picking  the  music  from  the  string 
Of  a  celestial  bobaling, 
And  sighing  sea-shellodiously, — 
"  Oh,  would  my  true  love  were  with  me; 

With  love  his  soul  I'd  fire, 
Fntil,  in  blissful  raptures,  he 

Would  gloriously  expire." 


As  peeping  Tom,  of  Coventry, 

Sought  with  rude  eyes  to  drink 
A  priceless  draught  of  chastity 

Athrough  the  lattice  chink, 
The  sachem,  through  the  quiv'ring  leaves, 
Where  roved  the  flowers'  perfume  thieves, 

Sweet  spirits  of  the  breeze, 
Peered  with  a  mind-absorbing  look, 
Like  youth  through  a  forbidden  book 

Of  wanton  mysteries, 
And  strove  to  catch  in  toil  of  sighs 
The  vagrant  glances  of  her  eyes, 

Which  danced  the  shadows  through. 


146 


ALLIEQ  UNO  A  BA  GO. 

But  peered  he  vainly  till  a  breeze, 
In  ecstasy  of  ecstasies, 
And  drunken  with  the  balmed  perfume 
Of  spice  and  pine  and  honeyed  bloom, 
In  loving  pity  swayed  the  trees 
Into  aerial  harmonies, 

And  gave  her  to  his  view. 
Instant  from  his  dazed  sight  he  sent 
A  ravished  glance  incontinent 

Upon  her  faultless  form. 
As  glorious  seemed  she  to  his  sight 
As  when  the  moon  of  Summer  night 

Peeps  through  the  scud  of  storm. 
He  gazed  enraptured.     Through  his  frame 
Shot  passions,  sublimated  flame, 

Which  set  his  brains  aglow. 
Impetuously  he  sought  the  spot 
Where  sat  the  maiden  of  the  grot, 

When  at  him  hawked  a  raven, 
The  guardian  of  the  spot, 
With  seething  anger  hot; 

Its  frantic  caws  and  bloody  beak, 

Its  cruel  claws  and  quaking  squeak, 
Its  glossy  ruffled  plumes 
Of  deepest  midnight  glooms, 

Turned  him,  a  moment,  craven. 


ALLIEGUNDABAGO.  147 

Up  sprung  the  maiden,  and  away 

In  agony  of  dread, 
Like  sunbeam  through  the  rainbowed  spray, 

With  glowing  feet  she  sped 
Into  the  silence  of  the  night, 

By  haunted  forests  dim, 
Where  mortals  shudder  with  affright, 

And  weird  Chimeras  hymn 
Their  mournful  pteans  to  the  breeze, 
Which  thrills  with  fear  the  sleeping  trees. 


The  chief,  like  stag  pursuing  doe, 
With  frantic  bound  and  heart  aglow, 

Followed  her  shining  trail 
O'er  hill  and  mount  and  stream  and  plain, 
Through  Fantasy's  ghost-filled  domain 

And  each  enchanted  vale. 
Pursuit  beamed  from  his  eager  eye: 
Possession!    was  his  spirit's  cry. 

On,  on,  he  flew,  until 
The  maiden  down  Niagara's  stream 
Whirled  in  canoe  of  watery  beam, 

Like  coaster  down  a  hill, 
While  he,  astride  a  vagrant  log, 
Through  the  cool  atmosphere  of  fog, 

Pushed  from  the  rocky  shore. 


14g  ALLIEGUNDABAGO. 

Flew  the  white  foam-flakes  creamily, 
Danced  the  illusions  dreamily, 

Before  his  moon-beam  oar. 
The  titt'ring  stars  and  smiling  moon 

Gazed  on  them  as  they  sped, 
-  While  from  mid-air  a  phantom  coon, 

With  eyeballs  crimson  red, 
Cried,  "  Alliegundabago,  oar  ! 
Chaunt  lo !     Ho!     Excelsior! 
Hoop-la !     My  duck  on  stilts,  wade  in  ! 
None  but  the  brave  deserve  to  win  !" 
Away,  away,  log  and  canoe 
Danced  feathery  o'er  the  waters  blue, 

As  if  imbued  with  life. 
Like  streamer  of  the  Northern  light 
The  maiden's  hair  flashed  through  the  night ; 

Her  eyes  those  of  mad  wife  : 
Swelled  mournfully  along  the  shore 
The  rushing  current's  hollow  roar, 

The  hoot-owl's  dismal  cry, 
While  panther's  shriek  and  eagle's  scream 
Broke  from  the  forests  of  his  dream, 

And  Echo  made  reply. 

The  rapids  seized  and  bore  them  past, 
Like  rusted  leaves  by  breath  of  blast, 
Toward  the  enchanted  falls, 


A  LI  AEG  UNDA  BAGO.  149 

Whose  thunder  filled  the  air  with  sound, 
Which  shuddered  through  the  dim  profound, 

And  died  by  heaven's  walls. 
On,  on,  a  single  length  ahead 
The  sachem's  log,  the  maiden  sped. 

The  prize  was  almost  won, 
When  o'er  the  falls  into  the  blue 
Expanse  of  moonlit  spray  she  flew, 

Her  countenance  like  sun, 
Toward  him  turned;  awhile  her  thumb, 
With  scornful  fingers  frolicksome 

Wagged  from  her  sneering  nose ; 
And  as  the  panting  chief,  red  hot, 
Adown  the  falling  waters  shot, 

In  admirable  pose, 
Dissolved  she  like  a  meteor's  blaze, 
Into  the  azure  of  the  haze ; 

And,  like  the  viewless  wind, 

Left  not  a  trace  behind. 
"  Maid  of  the  mist,  I've  missed  you !"  he 
Shrieked,  in  delirious  agony; 

The  wind  caught  up  the  cry, 
And  on  the  fragrance  of  the  day, 
With  coyisli  echo  stole  away, 

And  hid  in  depth  of  sky; 
And  when  into  the  seething  deep, 
Wave-shot  he  plunged  with  breathless  sweep, 
14 


ALLIEGUNDABAGO. 

And  gasp  and  throe  and  choke, 
Scream  after  scream  disturbed  his  rest,— 
Colcrocket  struck  him  on  the  breast,— 

And,  trembling,  he  awoke. 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

-TiRED  of  the  world's  corroding  cares, 

Its  pleasures  and  deluding  snares, 

I  sought  my  couch.     'Tvvas  midnight,  and 

The  storm-king  reigned  o'er  sea  and  land, 

Quaking  the  earth  with  thunders  dire, 

Emblazoning  the  air  with  fire, 

And  torturing  to  deeds  of  death 

Old  ocean  with  his  cycloned  breath. 

I  sought  my  couch  my  mind  oppressed 

With  fancies  which  my  soul  depressed, 

And  which,  like  furies,  racked  my  brain 

Until  my  spirit  writhed  in  pain 

And  drove  my  vagrant  thoughts  insane. 

I  wished  to  dream,  and,  dreaming,  yield 

My  spirit  to  the  unrevealed, 

And  in  the  silent  halls  of  sleep 

Forever  dwell  in  slumbers  deep. 

While  thus  revolving  in  my  mind 

The  means  t'  attain  the  end  designed, 

Uprose,  I  thought,  from  out  the  sea 

Of  troubles  which  environed  me 

A  monster,  fearful  in  its  mien, 

Which  waking  eye  had  never  seen! 

151 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

Its  varying  form  of  flesh  seemed  scaled 
With  adamant,  which  triple-mailed 
Its  vulnerable  parts.     Its  wings 

Were  dragon-like,  of  sheeted  flame; 
Its  tail,  like  serpents',  barbed  with  stings; 

Hued  was  it  as  the  blush  of  shame; 
Charged  was  its  breast  with  frantic  ire; 
Its  eyes  seemed  orbs  of  living  fire; 
Its  nostrils  shed  contagion,  while 

The  vapors  of  its  sulph'rous  breath 
Keeked  pestilent,  envenomed  guile 

Fraught  with  the  subtleness  of  death. 
Stained  were  its  fangs  with  human  gore 
Which  from  its  mouths  in  streams  a  score 
Spurted.     'Twas  horrible  to  see ! 
Unmanned,  I  shrieked,  "  Ah,  woe  is  me !" 

With  trembling  dread 
I  quaked,  and  turned  away  my  head, 
While  through  my  frame  a  terror  stole 
Whose  icy  touch  congealed  my  soul. 
"  O  God !"  I  cried,  "  extend  thine  aid 
And  guide  me  to  some  Cretan  shade 
Where  I  may  bide  till  darkest  night 
Cancels  the  vision  to  my  sight." 
Then  through  an  atmosphere  of  flame 
Towards  my  couch  the  monster  came  : 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION.  153 

"  I  am  the  gracious  world !"  it  roared ; 
"Of  earth,  and  all  therein,  the  lord, — 
The  power  that,  with  vengeful  hate, 
Will  haunt  thee  to  perdition's  gate, — 
Behold,  and  tremble  !"     Fiery  look  ! 
I  shrunk  in  dread,  my  couch  forsook, 
And  strove  to  hide  in  secret  nook. 
In  vain.     The  monster's  searching  glance 
Sought  for  and  found  my  countenance, 
And  charged  my  anguished  mind  with  dread. 
Into  the  night  my  fancies  fled, 
And  through  the  air  of  witchery, 
Haunted  by  shapes  of  sorcery, 
My  ghostly  terrors  followed  me, 
Till  on  the  verge  of  blank  despair 
I  stood  in  abject  fear  and  prayer. 
Swooning  I  fell.     'Twas  then  I  heard 
A  babelade  of  sounds  absurd, 
Like  choristry  of  unclean  bird, 
And  saw  flash  through  the  murky  gloom 
The  childhood  spectres  of  the  tomb ; 
While  in  that  atmosphere  of  flame 
Fiends  hovered  round  and  hissed  my  name; 
Each  searching  glance  the  while  divined 
The  guilty  secrets  of  my  mind, 
Diffusing  through  my  frame  a  chill 
Which  deadened  sense  and  conquered  will. 
14* 


154  SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

"  Here  are  the  means,  misfortune's  heir, 
To  'scape  the  grim  world's  tort'ring  care," 
They  then  exclaimed  sarcastically, 
Exhibiting  their  deviltry, 
While  fire-haired  one  with  flaming  crest 

Shot  from  his  glittering  eyes  of  hate 
A  subtle  frenzy  through  my  breast, 

The  mock  of  life  the  doom  of  fate. 
Then  one  with  harpy's  front  and  wing 
Flew  at  me  like  a  stone  from  sling, 
And,  chatt'ring,  grinned  derisively; 
Awhile  its  talons  offered  me 
A  glittering  razor,  whose  blue  blade 
Was  with  the  gore  of  crime  inlaid. 
Swifter  than  light,  with  sin'ster  gloat, 
Flashed  the  keen  steel  across  its  throat, 
Then  faded  from  my  mind;  awhile 
A  harpy,  with  sardonic  smile, 
Offered  a  cord,  and  eyed  a  beam 
Which  shadowed  a  tumultuous  stream; 
Then  craned  its  neck  and  lolled  its  tongue, 
And  rolled  its  eyes  as  if  'twere  hung, 
As,  fluttering,  it  gazed  aslant 
On  flood  with  looks  significant. 
A  third  one,  as  it  flickered  up, 
Poured  viewless  drops  in  airy  cup, 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION.  155 

And,  feigning  sleep,  with  mimic  cough, 

Assumed,  with  smirk,  to  toss  it  off; 

Then  writhed  its  face,  its  foul  wings  crossed, 

And  blanched  like  flow'r  when  nipped  by  frost. 

A  fourth  disguised  as  imp  of  fun, 

With  ghastly  phiz  and  ghostly  plumes, 

Emerged  from  charcoal's  deadly  fumes, 

Snatched  from  the  misty  air  a  gun, 

Its  muzzle  placed  its  brow  anear, 

Claw-pulled  its  trigger ;  while,  with  sneer, 

A  scarlet  demon  offered  me, 

With  hell-engendered  mimicry, 

A  cocked  revolver,  while  it  spread 

Its  vaporous  wings  above  its  head. 

I  shuddered  as  I  felt  my  soul 

Pass  from  my  flesh  through  bullet-hole. 

And  heard  it  curse  with  oath  its  birth 

As  echoingly  it  sped  from  earth. 

Frosted  with  horror,  sore  dismayed, 

Seized  I  a  razor,  tried  its  blade, 

But  hurled  it  from  me  as  a  chill 

Suffused  my  frame  and  froze  my  will. 

Then  did  I  cast  my  gaze  on  high, 

Caught  swaying  cord,  but  with  deep  sigh 

Dropped  it,  and  shrunk  from  stream  so  nigh ; 

Clutched  poisoned  chalice,  and  essayed 

To  drink  the  contents  while  I  prayed. 


156 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

But  ere  my  palate  tasted,  came 
From  out  the  night  a  voice  of  blame, 
Which  cried, — 

"Thou  fool!  how  very  wise, 
Thou  turn'st  to  Hell  not  Paradise. 
How  vain!  eluding  human  ill 
By  bartering  soul  and  strangling  will! 
Coward !  afraid  of  myths  that  flee 
If  you  but  meet  them  manfully ! 
Dolt!  hurling  the  immortal  where 
Fiends  gnash  their  teeth  'mid  dull  despair." 
Before  it  ceased,  in  chorus  broke, 
Like  screams  through  suffocating  smoke, 
The  voices  of  a  spectral  crew, — 
Though  never  one  addressed  my  view, — 
"Fool!  to  believe  what  thou  dost  hear," 

They  groaned ; 

Then  moaned, — 
"  Let  it  in  this  and  out  that  ear ;" 

And  sighed, — 

"Your  form  is  naught  but  fashioned  clay, 
Which,  soulless,  gusts  will  puff  away ;" 

Then  cried, — 

"You're  but  a  grain  in  harvest,  or 
A  mote  of  sand  on  ocean's  shore; 
A  drop  within  Time's  shoreless  sea  j 
An  atom  of  infinity." 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION.  157 

Awhile,  extemporaneously, 

A  gibbering  myth  of  sound  essayed 

To  edify,  and,  ass-like,  brayed, — 

"Your  soul  is  but  a  vital  spark 

One  moment  bright,  the  next  all  dark, 

And  as  the  wave  of  life  retires, 

It  flickers,  struggles,  and  expires." 

"There  is  no  God!"  a  deep  voice  gleeked; 

"  Nor  heaven  nor  hell  !"  a  thin  one  squeaked ; 

"No  resurrection,  no  hereafter," 

A  third  voice  whined  with  childish  laughter, 

\\  hile  imp  of  thought,  bepuffed  with  pride, 

Chuckled, — "  Death  comes,  our  spirits  glide 

To  new-born  swine, — and  there  abide, — 

From  which,  through  nature,  soon  evolved, 

We  pass  to  donkeys, — brute  resolved, — 

And  so  progress  till  time-dissolved." 

"Life's  but  a  dream — a  wakeful  trance; 

We're  but  the  slaves  of  circumstance; 

All  things  do  come  and  go  by  chance," 

Insidiously  chimed  voices  three, 

In  measured  strains,  sepulchrally, 

As  twitt'ring  myth  with  feeble  lisper 

To  my  rapt  sense  essayed  to  whisper, — 

"  Deluded  man  !  of  dust  the  brother ! 

This  earth's  your  hell,  there  is  none  other." 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

As  fancy's  tuneful  argosy 

Glides  o'er  the  waves  of  Fantasy 

Until  engulfed  in  harmony, 

So  sailed  each  dreamy  voice  away 

Into  the  shadow  of  the  day, 

And  through  a  labyrinth  of  sound 

Vibrated  to  the  weird  profound 

Until  in  depth  of  distance  drowned. 


I  wooed  belief,  but  clouds  of  doubt 
Encompassed  my  dazed  mind  about, 
Till  reason,  for  a  time,  gained  sway, 
And  bade  me  hurl  the  cup  away, 
Dissolving  every  doubt,  as  light 
Dissolves  the  shadows  of  the  night. 
Then  before  my  vision  rose, 
Like  spectral  wraiths  from  moonlit  snows, 
An  apparition  saintly-fair, 
All  habited  in  samite  rare, 

With  glowing,  beatific  face 
And  speaking  eyes  and  radiant  hair, 

And  visionary  form  of  grace, 
Which,  like  a  cloud,  enveloped  me 
In  odorous  mists  of  sanctity. 
Spell-bound,  my  every  sense  absorbed, 
And  in  her  blessed  presence  orbed, 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION.  159 

I  stood.     'Twas  then  a  thought  revealed 

Her  as  ray  guardian,  strength,  and  shield, 

The  being  who  from  infancy 

Until  I  gained  maturity 

Through  dangers  seen  and  unseen  had 

My  vagrant  footsteps  led, 
Had  balraed  my  woes,  my  heart  made  glad, 

And  soothed  my  anguished  head. 
Then  rippled  on  my  dreamy  ear 
Her  spirit-voice,  celestial  clear, — 
"  Beloved  one,  beware  !   beware 
The  Tempter's  wiles,  the  Demon's  snare ! 
Oh,  shun  them  !    else  in  torments  dire 
Thy  soul,  a  vital  shade  of   fire 
Fraught  with  ungratified  desire, 
Through  space  will  float  and  ne'er  expire. 
Heed  not  the  voices!   they  delude 
Your  hungry  mind  with  devil's  food, 
And  with  a  Judas-kiss  betray 
Your  consecrated  life  away ; 
Still  hold  the  faith  which  infancy 
Learned  at  thy  sainted  mother's  knee : 
The  earth-born  lore  of  fools  despise 
And  rest  thy  hopes  on  Paradise." 

'Twas  then  her  eyes,  with  sorrow  laden, 
Upon  me  cast  a  fond  adieu, 


1(50  SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

While  she  evanished  in  the  blue 
Which  veils  the  stars  and  curtains  Aidenn. 
Transfixed  I  stood,  amazed  and  dazed, 
And  where  her  finger  pointed  gazed. 


Uprose,  like  a  gigantic  tower, 
An  arm  of  superhuman  power, 
Which  grew  each  moment,  till  its  hand 
Shone  like  a  meteor  o'er  the  land, 
And  the  cerulean  of  the  skies 
Parted,  till  my  illumined  eyes 
Discerned  the  hills  of  Paradise. 


Then  through  the  soft  effulgence  shone 

The  rays  which  beam  from  Glory's  throne, 

And  in  their  lucid  splendors  I 

A  lustrous  cross  could  well  descry 

Superlatively  clear  and  bright; 

Yet,  to  my  soul's  enraptured  sight, 

As  gentle  as  the  beams  of  night, 

A  subtle  radiance  girt  it  round ; 

With  hallowed  glory  was  it  crowned, 

While  flowers  of  life  about  it  wound. 

Upon  it  hung,  in  human  guise, 

The  incarnate  Sovereign  of  the  skies, 


SUICIDE.— A   VISION. 

Just  as  He  hung  on  Calvary's  height, 

Save  that  His  body  purified 
Of  earthly  dross  shone  heavenly-white, 

And,  sunlike,  shed  a  wondrous  tide 
Of  living  glory  which  all  space 
And  systems  of  the  universe 
Pervaded.     Every  living  thing 
Of  locomotion,  scale,  or  wing 
Breathed  of  its  ether,  while  the  trees, 
Rocks,  earth,  and  waters,  and  the  breeze 
Absorbed  its  radiance,  and  athrough 
Its  attributes  lived,  changed,  and  grew. 

Beneath  the  cross  a  lustrous  book 
Caught  my  rapt  sight  and  bade  me  look 
Upon  its  page  inspired,  and 
Directed  me  to  that  command 
Expressive  of  the  Sovereign  will, — 
Which  there  I  read,  "  Thou  shall  not  kill!" 
Like  sorrow,  through  my  'wildered  brain 
There  flashed  an  agony  of  pain, 
And,  like  a  baleful  star,  quick  sped 
Throughout  my  mind  an  awful  dread. 
I  felt  like  guilty  wretch,  and  stood 
Like  blasted  tree  in  storm- wrecked  wood, 
Lifeless,  without  a  hope  to  hold 
My  spirit  in  its  loving  fold. 
15 


162  SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

Then  from  the  cross  a  gentle  voice 

Sweet  as  angelic  symphony 
Inspired  me  with  a  sweet  rejoice 

And  warmed  me  with  humanity; 
It  bade  me  fix  my  doubt-tossed  mind 
On  Him,  the  Saviour  of  mankind, 
And  fly  the  crafty  demon's  wiles, 
His  glozing  words  and  artful  smiles, 

Saying,— 

"  Weak  creature  of  my  sovereignty, 
Like  simple  child  rely  on  me 
And  do  my  will !  and  when,  in  time, 
Thy  spirit  seeks  the  realm  sublime, 
Exalted  thou  shalt  rule,  and  be 
Blest  through  a  vast  eternity." 

'Twas  then  it  seemed  that,  like  a  ray 
Of  moonlight  'neath  the  sun's  first  sway, 
The  cross  dissolved  in  radiant  spray  ; 
And  then,  supernal,  in  its  stead, 
Through  the  ethereal's  crimson  red, 
Appeared  a  throne  miraculous, 
Electrically  luminous, 
As  boundless  as  the  universe, 
Far-reaching  as  the  primal  curse, 
Sublime  as  the  deep  seas  of  space, 
Majestic  as  the  hills  of  grace, 


SUICIDE.— A   VISION.  163 

And  on  it  beamed  the  Crucified 

Of  Calvary's  mount,  beatified, 

inimitably  magnified, — 

Himself  again.     Absorbing  sight! 

O  form  of  uncreated  light ! 

O  awful  vision  of  the  night ! 

O  being  of  supreme  delight! 

O  mystery  of  mysteries ! 

O  star-crowned  god  of  deities  ! 

O  holy  fount  of  love  divine ! 

O  life  of  consecrated  wine ! 

O  majesty  of  noonday's  sun ! 

The  Lord  of  lords  !    the  Three  in  One ! 

The  living  Word  !    the  Truth  !  the  Light 

Of  grovelling  superstition's  night! 

The  omnipotent  Redeemer  !     The 

Life  !     The  incarnate  Mystery  ! 

The  Judge  immaculate!     He,  who 

Unfolded  heaven  to  human  view ! 

The  Holy  One !     Immanuel ! 

Death's  conqueror,  and  scourge  of  hell ! 

The  grand  Incomprehensible ! 

The  Being  incorruptible ! 

The  great  wide,  deep,  unfathomable! 

The  Eternal  One!     The  Law  of  Laws! 

The  All-in-All!     The  primal  Cause. 


SUICIDE.— A   VISION. 

Enchanted,  awed,  and  ravished  quite, 
Blinded  through  fierce  excess  of  light, 
In  joyousness  my  senses  passed, 
In  trance  before  that  vision  vast. 

Then,  while  ray  soul  its  vigil  kept, 
Aerially  before  me  swept, 
Like  sunbeams  through  the  atmosphere 
Which  girdles  this  terrestrial  sphere, 
A  multitude  of  bright  souls  shaped 
To  spirits,  gloriously  draped 
In  limpid  splendors,  every  one 
In  the  full  tide  of  Glory's  sun, 
Which,  in  its  far-off  majesty, 
Shed  its  benignant  beams  on  me, 
And  charged  my  soul  with  ecstasy. 
There,  too,  a  host  of  glittering  forms 

On  missions  from  the  court  divine 
Unto  the  worlds,  like  flash  of  storms, 

Shot  dazzling  through  the  starry  shine, 
While  from  the  spheres  came  thronging  hosts 
Of  spectral,  disembodied  ghosts; 
And  with  them,  by  fair  angels  led, 
The  bright  Intelligences  sped, 
And  round  their  holy  influence  shed. 

Floating  amid  the  calm  between 

My  soul  and  that  great  throne  serene, 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION.  165 

Arrayed  in  limpidness  of  sheen, 
A  choir  of  seraphs  caught  my  gaze, 
Enrapturing  heav'n  with  anthemed  praise, 
Star-censers  swaying,  while  the  air, 
Pregnant  with  incensed  love  and  prayer, 
Bore  to  the  Father's  gracious  ears 
The  worship  of  revolving  spheres. 
Beyond,  through  mists  of  dazzling  sheen, 
By  mortal  vision  never  seen, 
Moved  myriad  forms  of  Seraphim, 
Before  whose  brightness  stars  waned  dim, 
All  warbling  to  th'   JEolian  strains 
Of  winds  which  sighed  o'er  heavenly  plains, 
And  to  the  organed  harmonies 
Of  stars  and  universal  seas. 


There,  too,  celestially  fair, 

The  cherubs  of  the  upper  air 

In  shining  troops  appeared  awhile. 

In  shining  crowns  with  radiant  smile, 

And,  floating  where  Archangels  soar 

Adoring,  round  th'  exalted  choir 

Of  dazzling  Cherubim, 
Mingled  their  dulcet  harmonies 
Of  rapt  cherubic  ecstasies 

With  glorifying  hymn. 
16* 


SUICIDE.— A   VISION. 

Then  'mid  the  star-mist  gloriously 

Appeared,  sun-robed,  the  saints  of  yore, 
And  by  them  shone  illustriously 

The  martyrs  whom  the  Christ-world  bore, 
Each  shining  like  a  beam  of  light, 
Yet,  in  degree,  as  stars  of  night, 
Accordingly  as  each  had  kept 
The  faith  for  which  his  life  he  left. 
Kings  did  they  seem,  and  emperors, 

For  all  their  brows  were  nimbus  crowned, 
These  who  had  gained  th'  Elysian  shores, 

And  heard  the  echoes  of  its  sound, 
Permitted  there  to  feast  their  sight 
With  glory  from  the  Fount  of  Light, 
And  taste  the  untold  joys  of  those 
Who'd  gained  through  death  their  soul's  repose. 

Then  did  my  soul  relapse  from  trance 

To  swoon,  and  then  to  dream,  and  then 
A  mocking  myth,  with  subtlest  lance, 

Shot  swift  as  flash  upon  my  ken, 
And  with  a  fierce,  malignant  thrust, 

It  sped  with  fury  through  my  brain, 
And  clogged  its  cells  with  hellish  lu 

And  tortured  it  with  thoughts  insane. 

I  felt  like  one  adrift  on  sea 
Of  sublimated  misery ; 


SUICIDE.— A   VISION.  157 

Without  a  hope  to  cheer  the  gloom 
Which  haunted  it  like  fiend  of  doom, 
Augmenting,  with  its  sullenness, 
The  agony  of  my  distress. 

A  friendless  waif,  I  seemed  by  all 

Deserted.     Life  was  bitterest  gall ; 

A  burden,  heavy  to  be  borne; 

And  I,  a  wretch,  a  thing  of  scorn, 

Beyond  redemption's  glorious  scheme, 

Beyond  salvation's  searching  beam, 

With  naught  to  yield  me  peace,  or  calm 

My  soul  with  consolation's  balm, — 

What  cared  I  for?     The  voices  lied 

Unto  my  mind  unsanctified  ! 

The  visions  came  from  thoughts  profane ; 

But  phantasies  of  tortured  brain ; 

And  the  dread  teachings  of  the  Word 

Were  idle  vagaries.     Absurd 

Old  Women  fables,  sanctified 

By  antique  time,  and  deified 

By  priestly  dreamers  to  excite 

The  stupid  world  to  fear  and  fright ; 

To  threat,  cajole,  and  terrify ; 

True  or  untrue,  I  fain  would  die : 

Hell,  heaven,  or  naught!  'twas  all  the  same. 

Eternal  bliss,  change,  trance,  or  flame, 


16g  SUICIDE.— A   VISION. 

What  mattered  it?    'Twos  destiny: 
At  most  but  change  of  misery; 
'Twas  Kismet,  fate, — as  'twas  to  be. 

Just  then  the  monster's  sullen  roar 

Assailed  my  ears  and  vexed  me  sore, 

Until,  on  desperation's  brink 

I  stood,  and  ceased  to  muse  or  think ; 

Awhile  into  the  depths  undreamed 

I  peered.     Then  seemed  that  from  it  streamed 

A  voice  aerial,  sweet  as  sleep, 

Which  sighed, — 

"Why  hesitate  to  leap? 
Behind,  the  world  and  wretchedness ; 
Before,  a  heaven  of  happiness; 
Come,  wretch,  and  in  the  unknown  find 
Freedom  from  pain,  relief  for  mind, — 
A  land  of  bliss  and  golden  hours, 
Of  endless  joys  and  fadeless  flowers. 
Why  linger,  mortal?     Why  delay? 
Come  to  our  radiant  land,  away !" 

Then  hov'ring  o'er  oblivion's  brink, 
Into  whose  waves  I  fain  would  sink, 
Fell  that  winged  voice  whose  eloquence 
Of  guiling  music  wooed  me  hence. 


SUICIDE.— A   VISION.  169 

As  falls  on  ears  of  mariner 

The  siren's  'wildering  melody, 
So  fell  on  mine,  celestial  clear, 

Her  spirit-soothing  symphony  : 
"Come,  wretched  mortal,"  thus  she  sighed, 

"  Come  to  our  joyous  state  and  be 
Free  from  th'  incarnate  evil-eyed, 

Blest  through  a  vast  eternity." 

Bewildered,  fascinated,  dazed, 
My  mind  by  cruel  mem'ries  crazed, 
Unconsciously  I  stood  and  gazed, 
Until  a  power  beyond  resist, 
Evoked  from  out  the  ghostly  mist, 
Impelled  me. 

From  the  awful  height 
I  plunged  into  the  gloom  of  night ; 
And  as  I  sped,  broke  on  my  ear 
A  scornful  laugh  so  shrill  and  clear 
It  thrilled  the  swooning  atmosphere 
And  filled  my  soul  with  frantic  fear. 
Awhile  I  saw  the  tempter  turned 
Into  a  ghoul,  whose  eyeballs  burned 
With  hate's  red  fire,  which  seemed  to  roll 
Malignant  fury  through  my  soul ; 
Like  shaft  of  light  from  Dian's  bow 
Athrough  the  darkness  did  I  go 


170  SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

So  swift  that  my  illumined  hair, 

Torn  from  the  scalp  by  rushing  air, 

Was  caught  by  howling  gusts,  and  whirled, 

Like  threads  of  fire,  on  the  world. 

Then  through  my  mind  with  magic  speed 

Flashed  all  my  life, — each  thought,  word,  deed, 

All  I  had  done  from  hour  of  birth 

Until  I  spurned  the  doleful  earth. 

I  realized  my  wickedness, 

And  scorched  with  agonized  distress. 

On,  on,  I  flew.     My  stifled  breath 

Fled  from  my  frame.     I  lived  in  death ; 

And  as  my  body  grew  to  dust 

And  mingled  with  each  passing  gust, 

My  shadowy  immortality 

Flashed  starlike  through  immensity. 

* 

I  lived — O  God!  and  through  the  blaze 
Which  tinged  the  gloom  with  purple  haze 
Saw  starting  from  the  dread  abyss 
Where  hell's  red  waters  seethe  and  hiss 
Squadrons  of  fiends  on  flaming  wings 
And  talons  all  alive  with  stings, 
Who  flashed  apast  me  like  the  glint 
Of  angry  spears,  their  eyes  of  flint 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

Upbraiding  me  with  dev'lish  squint 
Awhile  they  mocked  with  gibe  and  jeer. 
"Ha!  ha!"  they  laughed,  "the  tempter  lied 
Hell  is  thy  doom,  damned  suicide!" 
On  with  the  speed  of  thought  I  sped 
Through  the  dim  region  of  the  dead, 
Whose  ghastly  shadows  filled  my  sight 
With  frightful  visions  of  the  night, 
And  with  a  grief  devoid  of  tears 
Blasted  my  soul  with  frantic  fears. 
Then  burst  to  flame  the  stifling  air 
With  intense  lightning's  blinding  glare, 
And  round  th'  shudd'ring  worlds  of  space 

Ten  million  angry  thunders  dashed 
Like  vengeful  angels  shorn  of  grape, 

And  'gainst  the  gates  of  heaven  crashed. 
Blinded  with  glare  and  stunned  by  sound, 
A  shadowy  form  I  whirled  around 
The  blank  void  of  the  dim  profound, 
Till,  quickened  into  sense,  I  heard 
A  sound  like  seas  when  tempest-stirred, 
And  then  a  trumpet's  blast  so  clear 
That  from  it  shrunk  the  atmosphere, 
And  like  a  parchment  sheet,  hand-rolled, 
The  blazing  firmament  was  scrolled, 
And,  quick  as  thought,  I  stood  alone 
Before  th'  Eternal's  dazzling  throne. 


172  SUICIDE.— A    VISION. 

Oh,  anguish  inexpressible ! 

Oh,  agony  no  tongue  can  tell ! 

As  from  the  living  glory  came 

With  withering  voice  my  mortal  name 

And  then  my  sentence :   "  Suicide ! 

Thou  who  with  knowledge  scorned  my  will, 

My  laws  defied  with  guilty  skill ; 

Now  from  mine  angered  presence  go, 
And  with  the  damned  fore'er  abide 

Accursed  in  deepest  depth  of  woe." 

In  twinkle  of  a  vagrant  ray 
Through  gaseous  void  I  sped  away 
On  breath  of  flame  which  seemed  to  me 
To  throb  and  pulse  like  troubled  sea. 

0  Christ!  the  torment!  the  despair! 
Mind  cannot  think  nor  pen  declare! 

1  breathed  the  air  of  blasphemy; 
Absorbed  the  subtle  deviltry; 
And,  flaming,  gasped  deliriously. 
Each  idle  word  and  thought  profane, 
Each  blighting  curse  and  deed  inane, — 
The  offsprings  of  my  mortal  brain,— 
Vibrating  through  immensity, 

In  spirit-guise  returned  to  me, 
And  with  a  frantic,  wild  endeavor 
To  rend  my  soul,  assailed  me  ever, 


SUICIDE.— A    VISION.  173 

Upbraiding  with  their  blasphemies 
Me  for  their  doleful  miseries. 

So,  too,  I  saw  and  comprehended 

The  dire  effect  of  word  and  act, 
As  with  my  faculties  they  blended 

And  ceaselessly  my  conscience  racked ; 
And  saw,  and  fully  comprehended, 

What  would  have  been  if  word  and  act 
Accorded  with  what  God  intended 

When  souls  were  made  a  human  fact. 

Then  each  vile  act  of  life  in  guise 
Of  Fury's  shape  flashed  on  my  eyes, 
Inquisitors'  vindictive  glee 
Fresh  tortures  adding  constantly, 
While  ever  growing  came  to  me 
My  sins  in  their  enormity. 
Around  I  heard  but  could  not  see 

The  agonizing  heaven-cursed  souls 
Of  those  who'd  spurned  the  world  like  me, 

And  saw  flit  by  in  guise  of  ghouls 
The  terrors  of  eternity; 
And  as  my  sleepless  conscience  fired 

The  anguish  of  my  spirit-mind, 
My  voice,  with  agony  inspired, 

Swelled  with  the  rest  to  warn  mankind. 
16 


174  SUICIDE.— A    V IK  ION. 

Then  through  me  shot,  like  storm-cloud's  flash, 
A  thrill  of  terror, — with  the  stroke! 

As  on  ray  ear  fell  with  the  crash : 
All  shuddering,  screaming,  I  awoke. 


THE    END. 


